A New Player (Chapters 1-72)
by Fitey888
Summary: I try to turn a cliched idea (a new Animorph) into a good story! Please give a reason for complaints, if any. :) (JUST ADDED 61-70!)(FINALLY done! Sorry for making you all wait!)
1. A New Player (Chapters 1-5)

A New Player

Author's Note- 

Oh yes. Now it's _FITEY'S_ turn to write a cliché. Of course, in my own twisted perceptive. Oh. Yeah.

Anyway, this is…er…something. Haven't quite figured it out… And yes, I know the title is a cliché itself, but forgive me! At least it doesn't have 'dream' in it. 

Oh yeah. It's about a person becoming an Animorph. But this person has a little secret, heh heh… 

Chapter One- Cassie

I sighed. I had plenty of work to do- and now I was being given even more chores. Clean the barn, feed the animals and give them their medication, clean my room, vacuum the house. Another day in the Animorphs life. As Marco would say- Ah, the glamour of being a superhero. Or in Rachel and I's case, heroine. I could use some help…

I finished bandaging a badger's leg- he had been caught in a bear trap- and moved on to the next patient. A duck. I fed him and gave him some new bandages, then moved onto the last one. 

A mountain lion. Ax had had an encounter with one once, but he got away- this one had been shot, so he needed bandages and meds. The lion was pacing back and forth, but when I cam to it's big cage (we had to make a stall into a cage so it wouldn't jump out- big cats can get a lot of speed in a little time) it stopped, and stared at me, with intelligent eyes.

Not intelligent like a dolphin's or a monkey's, but with a sort of human intelligence. The eyes were slit like a human might slit them, and was staring at me, tail twitching.

Carefully, I got the meds and the bandages in my hand. Moved slowly to the cage. Got ready. Opened the cage painfully slow. Moved to give it it's meds and-

The mountain lion leapt at me, I stood, frozen, but I was wrong- it landed next to me on the ground. Ran out of the barn, into the woods. I stood, panting, breathing with relief. 

Fighting aliens was enough. Now my normal life was stepping in for the fun…

Ah, the life of an Animorph.

Chapter 2- Lauren

I walked into the school building, put my junk in the locker, and slammed it shut.

I was in a bad mood.

It's not hard for me to get that way. I'm not a cool, calm person. I'm a 'touch me and DIE' person. You know… A 'don't take my stuff or prepare to get creamed' one. I don't sound like I'm tough, just a pansy using tough words. But believe me; when I want to cause pain I can. 

Anyway, I went into class. Sat down. Glared at some guys I don't like. Threw some girls some angry looks. Then I turned to the teacher, who merely smiled weakly, and then began to teach math.

I didn't really pay attention. I mean, I had a rep to uphold. Besides, I was angry. Mad at everything…

Mad at my dad for leaving. Mad at my mom for not caring. Mad at my fosters for ignoring me, complaining about how bad I was- well, why shouldn't I be?

Mostly, I was mad at them for moving. I hated my old town- but it was better than this dump. I had only been here for a few days- but already I had established a routine, a reputation. Certain people avoided me. Bullies praised me. I didn't like the bullies; I picked on people who bugged me, not little twerps that couldn't defend themselves and at least put up a fight. Not kiddy poohs that got all A's and thought they were the best, snotty nosed stuck-ups who needed reprimanding. I picked, punched, and killed the ones who decided they needed to be 'heroes'. In my life there are no heroes.

Just me.

Chapter 3- Jake

I slid into a seat in the cafeteria, with some of the school food. Blue mashed potatoes, gray gravy, and green chips. The school's favorite food colors.

I half-sighed, and poked at my food. The potatoes wiggled like Jell-O. I groaned, made a face, and turned to Cassie, who was sitting next to me.

"Did you remember to bring a lunch?" I asked, hoping against hope.

"Nope. But I got second choice, chicken nuggets."

Chicken nuggets are the only things the school can't ruin. Just don't let them put barbecue sauce on them. Then it tastes sickening. Like…death.

Oh yes, we are the Animorphs. 6 beings with the power to morph, given to us by an Andalite named Elfangor. We fight parasitic aliens called Yeerks. But you probably know all of that…

If you didn't, well, I guess I'll explain later. Or maybe one of the others will…

The point is, school food (with the exception of chicken nuggets) is a lot like death. Foul, toxic, and unreal at the same time.

Now you know why I hate it.

Chapter 4- Marco

I sat in Ax's scoop watching cable. Surfed the channels. MTV, Fox Family, Cartoon Network, TNT, ESPN, etc.

Nothing was on. And it wasn't unusual- during 9-2, it was usually just kiddy shows. Not quality entertainment. At least, on the normal channels. Of course not MTV, VH-1, TNT. But there weren't any good movies or shows on. Just soap operas, bad music videos, and old black-and-white movies. 

That was the thing about being 'dead'. Don't get me wrong- but I'd almost want to go to school for something to do. I couldn't go to the mall, the movies, not anywhere. And now, nothing was on TV. 

Oh well…

I clicked off the television, and looked for something else to do in Ax's scoop. Finding nothing, I got up and turned on his souped-up computer, and started playing some games on it.

All I'm going to say is: the boy needs to buy some computer games. Or at least a PS2, or PS. Or DreamCast. Heck, anything would be alright- so long as it dated within the year 1990.

I got online, after playing the very limited (not to mention out-dated) games a few thousand times, and surfed the web. My search item: 'shapeshifters'. About a million references popped up.

I don't really know WHY I looked it up. My life was weird enough, so I wasn't into books like that. 

One reference caught my eye. I clicked it, and looked at the page. The title was- '_Basic Shape-Shifting/Shape-Shifters for the Basic Mind.'_

I rolled my eyes. I was about to back click when I noticed the words- '_Within the months, several reports of shape-shifters have been received. The reports include four teenage kids changing into animals. They also include an alien creature and a hawk within the report. They say-'_

So. The truth was out. People knew about us. That wasn't a big deal- Jake had shown some Star Trek obsessees our secret. A boy (now a rat) about our age knew. And somewhere there was a nosy boy who lost his camera that knew. There might be others. 

We had seen a few postings on the net before, but this was my first discovery. Otherwise it had been one of the others. I decided not to mention it. I mean, with a name like that, why would anyone bother to check it out? 

Chapter 5- Tobias

I was flying over my meadow when I saw it. A mountain lion, slinking along, looking this way and that every so often. I was worried. I didn't think mountain lions could climb trees- I'd have to ask Cassie- but still. They were dangerous, like all cats. I've had experiences with bobcats, and it was a little thing. This was…a lion.

I decided to follow it a ways, and see if it was trying to establish a permanent home or if it was just lost.

I spotted a bandage on its side. It must've been a patient at Cassie's. But why was the bandage still there?

I glided to a tree branch where I could watch it stalk a rabbit. In three liquid movements, the rabbit was down. In two it was gone, bones and all. I hadn't known cats ate everything at once… But this one seemed different.

I saw it look around again, and suddenly, I felt its eyes on me. It nodded to itself, and then turned, and went on his way.

A chill went down my spine. There was something very wrong going on. 


	2. A New Player (Chapters 6-10)

Chapter 6- Rachel

Cassie told me about the mountain lion episode on Saturday. 

I had an oldies song stuck in my head, thanks to my mom. That 'So Happy Together' song. You know- 'You and me, and me and you, no matter how they toss the dice it had to be. The only one for me is you. And you for me.' And so on. Playing over and over and over. To a point that I felt almost sick.

I looked Cassie up and down. She DEFINITELY needed to go shopping. On a scale of 1-10, she ranked a 4. And that was putting it nicely.

"Have I ever told you about Ralph Lauren?" I asked her. 

She rolled her eyes. "I hate shopping. And I have way too many chores, Rachel. Ever since the mountain lion escape, I've had a bit more work. Like, sweeping the floor twice a day. And cleaning the cages six times a week." 

I smiled slightly. Cassie the animal lover. For once, sick of her chores. I wondered if the war was finally affecting us in bigger ways. When Cassie stops loving animals, you know something's wrong. In a major 'Doomsday' way.

"Tomorrow then?" I prided.

"Maybe. But I DO hate shopping. And the mall besides."

"Alright. What time?"

"Around noon," She told me. "By then I won't have so much stuff to do- and when I get back it won't be to late and I can finish it."

"Alright. C-Ya then."

Chapter 7- Lauren

My 'parents' hadn't been home yesterday. They weren't home now. They usually tried to avoid me, unless- unless the principle called. Or someone's parent. Then it was a confrontation. I usually won; I was the 'orphaned' girl. The poor, disgruntled effect of what happened when…what had happened. I didn't want to think about…that….

I opened a book, and turned to the page I was on, and started reading. I read a lot. I didn't need anyone; just my books. They helped to escape the madness, the incessant voice that said insulted me, that reminded me what I was. Who I was. The guilt, the voices of the hurt, the parents, the-

The madness

The books helped, kept it away, and I was free- free from all the twists and turns that ran through my mind, that manipulated everything around me, so all I felt was- 

Hate. Hate, the burning anger for everything around me, near me, touching me. Eating me alive. I only liked one thing: books. Fiction books about vampires and werewolves and shape-shifting and witches and warlocks and dragons and magic and… The like. They kept me from the past, my life. Now isn't that ironic? The mad, orphaned, bully was a lover of books…

Chapter 8- Cassie

My parents decided we had to find the mountain lion, so that it didn't get any more hurt than it was; or cause any trouble. So, we headed out around 9, armed with a cage, and a tranquilizer mom had borrowed from the zoo. For protection- so we didn't have to kill it.

We drove on the road that was next to the forest, and pulled off where we figured the mountain lion wouldn't have gone by, and decided to start there and work our way back. It would be hard with three people, but if we didn't find it today mom said she'd get some people from the zoo to help. Which would probably help, a lot. 

I remembered the eyes it had looked at me with, and shivered. Eyes that knew something more than I. Hypnotizing eyes…

We started off into the woods, and I wished Tobias was there; he could help more than any zoo workers. As we got into the woods, I felt eyes on me. I looked around, but I didn't see anything. Suddenly I understood. The lion-

The mountain lion leapt, and landed on me this time. It growled and dug its claws into me, piercing my flesh, and I couldn't do anything! My parents ran over to me, but they were helpless. They couldn't shoot because the lion and I were rolling over and over- they might hit me. I screamed, the lion staring into me, when I realized.

It could kill me- could've killed me awhile ago- but hadn't. Why…

The lion let go as I landed on the bottom of a roll- let go, stood up- stared at me, in the eyes, mesmerizing me- I stood, and watched it move.

"What are you doing?! Cassie…? Cassie!" My parents cried. 

I realized I was moving toward the cat, following it deeper into the woods- but I couldn't stop. I cried out, trying to free myself from its grasp.

My dad cocked his gun, and aimed at the mountain lion. Fired. 

As it fell to sleep, so did I. I landed on the ground, sunk into a deep slumber.

Chapter 9- Jake

Rachel told me what happened. She had gone over to get Cassie to go shopping- and found that she had fallen asleep. A drugged sleep. 

She wouldn't wake up- even when her parents tried to use the stuff that woke you up. They couldn't figure out why she had even fallen asleep. All they had done was shoot the mountain lion that had escaped.

Which made you wonder what was going on. 

I don't know what they expected me to do. Explain _why_ she was asleep? Wake her up?

I sighed. At least she was alive though. I hoped. Who knew what that drug could do? 

Chapter 10- Lauren

I put my book down. It was over. And they still weren't home. I curled my lip with disgust, then got up. I had more books; but I didn't feel like reading. I decided to take a walk.

I put a coat on, and black boots. Then I headed outside. 

It was a muddy, dreary day. Not muddy from rain that day, just…muddy. I headed purposefully…nowhere. I knew something was making me walk somewhere. To a place I had no real knowledge of…

I spotted the construction site ahead. My feet moved me inside. I walked around, peering around half-walls and ones with holes through them, camp fires' ashes laying around here and there. 

I recalled something one of my fosters had told me once, when I had gotten a week's detention for beating up a kid repeatedly.

"_I almost hope on one of your midnight runs that an ax murderer from that construction site would get you, you ungrateful brat._"

A smile played upon my lips, and I remembered what I had thought to him, wouldn't he wish it would? Then he'd be free of me. Everyone would be _SO_ pleased.

Someone gag me.

Suddenly, I heard words. I ducked down behind a wall as the voices came closer.

"-We need to search the site. We might find something of use." 

"Is Visser One behind the project?" Another voice asked. A gruff voice. I peered around the corner, and spotted my assistant principle and some other man, who looked about thirty and had a beard.

"Yes. He decided that the Andalite Bandits might have hidden something here- or there may be leftover wreckage from the Andalite Fighter."

Visser One? Andalite Bandits? My mind buzzed. What was all this talk from a sci-fi movie or novel?

My principal spoke up again. "Alright. How are we going to cover it up?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't that be _your_ job? After all, you ARE the Visser's favorite." I could see a small look of fright on the bearded man's face.

"Very well. I'll ask the Visser if he has any ideas. If he doesn't, I'll expect something from you."

The man scowled, but he looked like he liked the idea better than talking to this 'Visser' person.

They walked by me, and I scuttled behind some more wrecked walls. Something was up, and my assistant principal was involved.


	3. A New Player (Chapters 11-15)

Chapter 11- Rachel

It was Sunday. Cassie had woken up, along with the mountain lion. No one knew what to do with it. They almost didn't trust Cassie around the thing I guess. Because of what had happened.

So Cassie's chores were lowered a bit- she didn't have to do anything for the mountain lion, merely feed and give the other animals medications. Her father took care of the lion. 

Cassie and I didn't feel like going to the mall anymore- so we stayed home and studied for a test we were both going to have Monday in Math.

In the middle of a problem I asked her what had happened when the mountain lion hypnotized her as she said.

"I… I don't know," She admitted. "I just stared into its eyes and it sort of… Controlled me."

"Some animals may be intelligent, but that's about where I'd draw the line." 

She nodded. "I doubt any animal- except maybe an alien animal- could hypnotize a person. Some animals can hypnotize other animals into not moving- like snakes. They get mice to look at them and they just sort of sit there until they're eaten." 

I nodded to show I was following. "But that still doesn't explain how that cat did it."

Cassie shook her head.

Chapter 12-Marco

I was in the Hork-Bajir colony, now.

Jake had told me, my parents, Ax, and Tobias about the mountain lion and Cassie. 

So now we had to try and figure out what was going on.

My mother, dad, and I sat on crude wooden chairs some Hork-Bajir had made. We couldn't exactly steal some, or even bring some without being noticed. Jake stood, with Ax alongside him. 

It hypnotized him? Ax asked, puzzled.

"Yeah. At least, that's what Cassie says."

Perhaps it was merely a Yeerk trick.

Jake looked at him. "That would mean they knew who…what we are."

Ax nodded, and we all thought long and hard about that. "Is that the only choice?" I asked.

Ax's brow furrowed. At least, it looked that way. I couldn't exactly tell.

Perhaps something happened when it attacked her?

I rolled my eyes. "Like what? When it got her blood it banded them together so whatever happens to it happens to her?" 

They all turned to stare at me. "What? I was joking! You don't think that could happen, could it?"

They stared harder. "Oh no. No, no, no, and no. There is NO way. It's impossible." 

Jake shrugged. "After everything else that's happened? Why not?"

I sighed. "Life is getting out of hand."

Chapter 13- Lauren

It was the next day. I was in my room, thinking about what I had seen…and heard. 

__

What's going on? I wondered. _What is Principal Chapman doing at night in a construction site? Who is this 'Visser' person ? _

Questions raced around in my head, ones I couldn't answer without more information. It made me uneasy- my life was becoming some sort of sci-fi/adventure movie rerun. The orphaned foster girl rescues the world from evil alien principals. At that, I giggled. Foster Mom and Foster Dad would never believe _that_. They would be mad. I could picture their faces when told I was a heroine.

I looked around me, at my room. Things I knew- the little shelf where I kept a few possessions like drawing paper, pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils. Another where I had my few books, and one where I had a few pictures. Pictures of… My _real_ family- the one I wanted to know. Tears welled in my eyes, and I angrily brushed them away. I was mad again- mad at my easy coming tears at the subject of home, mad at my parents… I knocked my head on the window, and looked down at the street below. Rain was falling, and mud came, along with people carrying umbrellas trying to dodge the mud, kids trying to find the biggest puddle, and dogs sniffing away here and there not minding the rain at all.

Home… When would I find it? And what would I have to do to get it back?

Chapter 14- Cassie

My parents fussed over me. Not a lot- but more than usual. They wouldn't let me go out for too long, and other stuff. It was kind of annoying, but also kind of sweet, I guess.

Jake called a meeting in the barn one day- everyone was to meet at 7 when my parents would be gone for awhile- maybe an hour or so. 

It was around 5 now, so I had 2 hours to kill. Wonderful. 

I sat down to some homework I had to do, and started on it. I had a paper due the next day and yet another test to study for.

I stared at one problem for a minute, and then wrote an answer. Then moved on, doing the same process for each one. 

After about twenty more problems, I was done, thankfully. I looked at the time. 6:35 PM.

In twenty-five minutes they would be here. I still had time to kill. 

I studied for my test. It was social studies-slash-history on some sort of Indian tribe thing. How the colonists did stuff for them and the Indians did stuff back to repay them, and then the American Revolution and how some helped one side and some the other. 

Practically asleep by the time the doorbell rang, I jumped at the sound. Then, realizing what it was, I ran downstairs and opened the door. It was Jake. 

"Jake! I'm not late, am I?" I asked him.

Jake looked a bit amused at the thought of me being late when the barn was next door, and shook his head. "Nope, I'm the only one here yet, and it's about 6:59."

"Oh."

"Tobias and Ax are coming because of Erek."

"Erek?" I asked.

"You'll see. He has some sort of big news. I predict the first words out of Marco's mouth will be- 'What does the messenger of doom command now?'."

We laughed at the thought, then headed outside to the barn. Ax was there, but Tobias had gone to find Erek.

Chapter 15- Jake

The others arrived, one by one. Marco was next after Cassie and I, then Rachel, then Erek and Tobias. 

"Alright. Let me guess: Erek has horrible news. Visser One knows who we are, where we live, what we do to pass time and how many times we blink per minute." Marco counted.

"Not exactly. We don't know much this time- all we know is the Visser is planning something big. He has…someone…or something…looking for you. The person-thing, whatever, doesn't know what you are- Andalite or human- but it knows your battle morphs, and it knows that you 'live' in the forest."

"Well that's just find and dandy peachy keen."

Erek shrugged. "We know he-or her- is planning a trap for you sometime next week at the Sharing. Whatever it is is planning to take several random important people- Mayor and so on- to be infested. And you have to go to save them. Because if you don't- the Mayor and the others he picked will become controllers. You have to go- and you have to win."

"Well this is just so cheery!" Rachel commented. "We have to save the Mayor and whoever else from being infested, we have to make it through the trap, and we have to make sure we win. Piece of cake."

"Well now I've seen everything! Rachel actually putting down a job?"

"Nah. I think it'll be fun. We'll have to use different battle morphs though."

Marco sighed. "The life of an Animorph."


	4. A New Player (Chapters 16-22)

Chapter 16- Visser Three (or One)

Visser One/Three sat, hands on the table in front of him, in human morph. The hologram of his employed was merely a dark shape that seemed to twist. Only the 'voice' might give a clue to what-or who-it was.

"I will be arriving very soon, Visser." The voice seemed to sing. "Then we may talk business."

"Good. I await your presence." He said, trying to speak politely. The figure- whatever it was- could very easily control his destiny. It could decide whether he would be rid of the Andalite Bandits for once and all and please the Council- or it could merely decide to quit because of the Visser's foul temper, leaving him to try and destroy them.

"Do you know where to land?" Asked the Visser. 

"Yes," The voice replied, in the same singing voice. The Visser grinned.

"Good. I will meet you at the soonest possible time. I will have a limo pick you up."

"Very well, Visser." The hologram disappeared.

Visser One (or Three) smiled. Everything was going according to plan.

Chapter 17- Lauren

I checked to make sure I was alone, and logged on.

I was at school in the computer room. I hurriedly entered their pathetic password and got online. Then, I went to a search engine. 

I was going to get some answers. Since we didn't have a computer at home, I was going to 'borrow' the school's computer for a minute. 

I entered the word 'Visser' in the search box. Waited for the page to load.

No matches.

I tried 'Andalite Bandits'. None. 

__

Well, I thought. _If the Internet doesn't have it, this must be pretty secretive. But how do I get my answers?_

I knew one thing: I couldn't confront my principal. So I'd have to think of something else. But what?

Chapter 18- Rachel

We were having another meeting. This time, it was about how to get Cassie to come along, if her parents were still being overprotective by the time we needed to go. Ax was there in human morph, just incase we remembered another problem. 

"Here's another problem: school. What if they decide to do it during class?"

"Good point. This will be harder than we thought." Jake said.

"Hard? This is like, mission impossible. But we don't have any explosives, or driver's license."

We all sort of laughed at that. We were the Earth's only hope and we couldn't drive yet. 

Silence fell. We wondered what we'd do. Thought. 

"I know! Duh, the Chee! One of them can play Cassie if needed-and the others us."

"Oh." 

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to eat." Marco stated, as he stood up. "Being that we've solved the problem."

"Well. Being that Erek said this…thing…knows our battle morphs, I think we should do a bit of switching around."

Marco sighed. "Fine. Like what?"

"First of: we need to decide who morphs what. Ax, what morphs do you have?" 

Ax turned to Jake, which meant he almost fell over. "I have…HAV… my shark morph, cockroach, northern harrier. HARR. HAIR. ER… rattlesnake-"

"Rattlesnake? Perfect. That's what you'll morph." Jake decided. "Tobias?"

Ax, Taxxon, Hork-Bajir, and elephant are probably my strongest morphs. Except for Taxxon... 

"Alright. You do the elephant morph. Cassie?"

"Not much. Hork-Bajir, Taxxon, elephant, wolf… Oh yeah, polar bear." 

"Hork-Bajir. Rachel?"

"Grizzly, elephant, wolf, Taxxon, Polar Bear, Hork-Bajir.." I answered.

"Polar Bear. Marco?"

"Wolf, gorilla, Taxxon, Hork-Bajir, polar bear, and rhino."

"Rhino." Jake paused, thinking. "That leaves me with…"

"Oh! I just remembered. All of us-except you, Jake- have cheetah morph."

Jake nodded. "Alright then. Cassie, do you want to do cheetah? I can do the Hork-Bajir morph then."

Cassie shrugged. "OK. I guess that's it."

"Can I go now?"

Jake sighed. "Fine. But as soon as we get word of this, I want you guys _ready_. Marco? I want to talk to you later. Then you, Erek, and I can set up an agreement with the Chee to pose as us if needed."

Marco nodded, and mock-saluted. "Yes mother, sir, commander."

Jake rolled his eyes.

Chapter 19- Visser One (Or Three)

Visser Three waited angrily. The limo was late. She was supposed to have arrived ten minutes ago. 

Boiling in a rage, he paced the room. Suddenly, there was a knock on the steel-like door.

"Visser…" A rough voice called. "Your guest has arrived."  
Instantly, the Visser stood a little straighter.

Send her in. He commanded. No one is to disturb us while we are talking. If anyone does, I will personally see to his death.

He moved to the other side of the room. The door slid silently open, and in stepped a- Vanryx!

It was huge, bigger than his own Vanryx morph. It looked like a giant worm-slash-snake and it stared at him, as if considering if he was his next meal. The Visser choked for a second, and wondered what was going on.

Suddenly, a silent thought-speech hiss met his mind. I sssee you don't like me aaahhsss thisss creature...

The Visser regained his composure. The…Vanryx…suddenly turned into a blue-banded Hork-Bajir. Except…it seemed still more massive than any Hork-Bajir he had ever seen, blue-banded or not. 

"Is _this_ form better, my Visser?"

Stop your shape-changing! He snapped. I'm not here to watch your tricks.

The Hork-Bajir nodded. "Of course, my Visser. Wouldn't _dream_ of it Visser. I p-"

Shut up! He shouted. I me- He began.

The Hork-Bajir glared at him. The blades began to- the head- It was a Vanryx again.

VISSSSSSSSEEEERRRR! It screamed silently. 

I-

SSSILENCEE!

The Visser stopped. 

Slowly, she calmed down. This time, she was a tall human girl, wearing casual clothes. 

"Visser. I tire of your impatience. If you wish we can now proceed to business matters." She sat on a chair that was present. The Visser relaxed, but not much.

"Now then. Who was it you wanted me to go after?"

Andalites. A group of guerrilla Andalites has been making the invasion very…stressful for us. I wish of you to dispose of them.

"Andalites?" She mused. "I haven't had a good challenge in awhile. Andalites make…interesting…targets. Mainly because they can change shapes like me."

Yes, yes. The question is, will you do it and what for?

She waved her hand. "I'll do it. But I want.." She paused, as if thinking. "All I want is a few dracon weapons. I'm running low. They're so easy to lose, if you take my meaning."

The Visser obviously didn't, but nodded anyway. [You can start immediately.

She nodded, lost in thought. "I'll need a place to stay for awhile. Do you have anything?"

Yes, of course. Iniss Two-two-six will take care of you. He has a human host.

She looked at him, head tilted sideways. "Where can I find him?"

He should be coming in to feed today. If not, I will…talk…to him.

She grinned. "Thank you Visser. It has been my pleasure to do business with you." 

She stood, and walked out of the door.

Chapter 20- ?

She wandered the pool area, waiting. Of course, there was no way to know _who_ Iniss-two-two-six was, but still- somehow, she would figure it out. She was the master of figuring things out.

The day wore on. She spent some of her time in the voluntary Controller space, watching television, but soon she tired of that too. The pool, she concluded, was nothing more than a space for Yeerks. It was useless to her.

She watched the Hork-Bajir guards at the pool for awhile, and wandered around. Some questioned her, and all she did was mention 'Visser One' and they steered clear of her. It was a very satisfying feeling.

Finally, some Controllers- humans, of course- began to enter the underground arena. Yeerks looking for Kandrona rays. 

She watched each one, until she saw what she was looking for- a semi-swaggering human-Controller that seemed to just be looking for trouble. She walked toward him purposefully.

"Are you Iniss-two-two-six?" She demanded.

"Yes." He answered sharply, looking her over. "Who are you? I'll have Visser One-"

"I don't care about your puny threats." She snapped. "As for Visser One, Visser One has hired me, and _you_ are to provide me with a place to stay and eat. If you feel these tasks are beyond you, I'll simply return to the Visser and tell him that-"

"Fine! No need to tell the Visser-"

"Very well. I will await you while you feed." She stepped out of his way, and he hurried to the first pier. The line was short now, but soon it was long as more Controllers arrived for the life-giving Kandrona rays. She felt herself a bit unnerved by the screams and pleas and threats of the momentarily-freed hosts, and moved to the voluntary host area again, and decided to watch television or make conversation, so she could escape the wretched cries and pleas. 

She moved for a seat next to a few voluntary hosts, and crossed her legs, trying to act normal. One of them noticed her and nudged one of his friends. 

"You new here?" He asked her.

"Yes. In a way," She told him distractedly, eyes on Chapman.

"So, what's your Yeerk's designation?" He asked. "Mine's Talin four-eight-three."

"Don't have one." She answered, still staring at the pool. The guy's eyes narrowed. 

"No Yeerk? Well, _this_ could get me a promotion." He turned to his friend. "Hey, Dan, get a load of this-" He pointed at her. "No Yeerk."

"What? Well, I think the Visser may be interested in that." Dan replied. The two stood up, and walked towards her.

She stood. And, before them, became the blue-banded Hork-Bajir. She towered over them. 

"What the-"

"I think we got us an Andalite Bandit!" The other exclaimed. "ANDALITE IN MORPH!" He suddenly shouted, not comprehending she had gone from human to Hork-Bajir. Impossible for an Andalite morpher.

She made no attempt to struggle. Why should she? When about twenty Hork-Bajir an a few dozen armed human-Controllers had gathered she spoke calmly and coolly.

"I'd be pleased to tell the Visser you are interfering with his _guest's_ stay." 

That froze them cold. Suddenly, no one wanted to mess with her. All the Controllers found some way to act busy or occupied.

"Thank you." She halfway sneered. She returned to her less menacing form of human, and spotted Chapman returning. 

"Ready?" He asked.

"Of course. Let's go see what the human world is like." She replied, as they headed for the exit.


	5. A New Player (Chapters 23-30)

Chapter 23- Jake

The Sharing is a front organization for the Yeerks. They use it to recruit voluntary Controllers. That's why we decided to spy out there first, then go to Tom or Chapman.

Only two of us would be going: Ax, regardless, and we'd draw straws to see who else would accompany him. Which was why we were in the barn that day.

"Personally, I think we should all go." Rachel stated. "That way we can spread out and cover more ground at the center." 

She had a point, but- "We don't want them to catch us. This is just a two-person spy job. Ax has to go incase they're speaking alien whatever, and one of us has to go so Ax isn't alone." I answered her. 

Rachel nodded. Then, I reached down and picked up five pieces of straw that were generally the same size. I broke some of them down so they were all different. 

"Short straw goes." I told them, and then I arranged them in my hand so no one could tell what straw was longest or shortest.

Rachel picked first. She got a medium sized straw. Marco picked, and got one that was just a bit longer. Cassie picked. A short straw. I picked. A _really_ short straw. The last straw was for Tobias, (he couldn't exactly pick one out with his talons or beak) and it was the longest. 

"Guess I'm going then," I told them. 

They nodded. "Alright, Tobias? Can you get Ax? We're doing this today. Tom is gone, because they're having a meeting today. This way we might get some information."

Tobias had already left by the time I had finished, and everyone but Cassie sat on some hay to wait. Cassie cleaned some cages. 

"Whatever happened to that mountain lion?" Asked Marco.

"Him?" Cassie seemed a bit startled. "Oh, the lion…My dad released him two days ago."

Marco nodded. "Ah."

Just then, Ax came in, in his own body. Hello Marco, Cassie, Rachel. Hello Prince Jake. 

"Don't call me Prince," I said, automatically. 

We are going now? He asked.

"Yeah. Alright, then, bird morphs everyone. Tobias, make sure no one is coming."

First, we all pulled off our outer clothing 'til we were standing in our morphing outfits. Then we started our various bird morphs. Mine was a peregrine falcon, which was my fastest animal. It could go almost two hundred miles per hour in a dive. 

I shrank down, as my lips and teeth hardened and melted, and became a beak. My eyes changed, leaving me blind a second, until I could see every crack and piece of hay on the ground that was rushing up to me. My hair was gone, and feathers started to grow on my body, as my toes became talons, and my organs squished around as they changed to a bird's system. My bones crunched and shrank with my body, until I was finished.

Everyone ready? I asked. There was a chorus of 'yeses' and with that- Alright, guys and gals. Let's go.

With that, we flew out of the barn, towards The Sharing.

Chapter 24- Cassie

We flew to The Sharing. Jake told Rachel to wait on one side of the building, me on another, Tobias on one, and Marco on the last. That way, we would be able to stay in contact and see if anyone was moving around, coming in, or whatever.

We perched in the trees surrounding the building and waited. I scanned the area for people. Tried to peer in through a window near me, but it was at an angle where I couldn't see anything. I moved onto a lower branch, and peered in. 

The windows were tinted, made so people could see out and no one could see in. But only the ones that led into rooms where they didn't want a suspicious or curious human looking in on something they shouldn't see. 

Because of my osprey eyes that were designed for me to see through the mirror water where my prey lived-fish-this window was perfect for my eyes. And inside the building, I could see three people talking. 

One was some girl I had never seen. Another was… I strained my eyes, even though it wasn't necessary. Yes! It was Chapman. The other was a man, but I couldn't see his face.

Jake! Ax! I called out in private thought-speak. Can you hear me?

Barely, Cassie.] Jake's 'voice' answered. What is it?

Chapman! I see Chapman and some girl and middle-aged guy through a tainted window on the… 

Jake caught on. I'll follow this hallway… Ax, do you remember what side we came in? 

Yes, Prince Jake. It was the South side. Marco is on the West, Rachel the North, Tobias the South, and Cassie the East. We are heading East now.

I would've grinned if I could've. Alright, go to the East side, by the… I calculated what Ax had said. Rachel was by my right. That meant they had to go to the right corner… Chapman is on the North-East corner. I told them. 

Alright, Cassie. Thanks.

Chapter 25- Ax

Prince Jake and I were in fly morph. It was faster than cockroach, and less noticeable. We flew by the ceiling, following Cassie's directions. Soon, we reached three doors. Two were on the left side, which meant one of them was on the side we wanted to be in. The other was on the right side.

Which door? Prince Jake wondered. Of course- check for light under the door.

Prince Jake buzzed out of my bad fly-sight, toward the left door. I took the right one.

I dived towards my target, wavering wildly. I landed on the floor, and walked toward the door, searching for 'light'. The crack under the door seemed dark. 

Ah-hah! I heard Prince Jake say. Come here, Ax.

I zoomed towards the door Prince Jake had gone to, and met him underneath it. I could hear human voices. 

Quick- under the door and to the ceiling. He told me. On three. One… I prepared myself. Two… Opened my wings. THREE!

I shot toward the ceiling, and saw Prince Jake doing the same. We landed together, on the rough ceiling, and creeped towards the sounds of voices.

Did you guys make it? Cassie's voice. She was asking us if we had found the room. 

Yeah, we found it. We can hear people talking…

OK. I'll not trouble you more. Cassie fell silent, while we strained our 'ears' to hear what the people were saying.

"-Can't wait any longer." One voice said.

"You'll wait as long as it takes," One voice snapped. A hard, cold voice, I could tell, even with my fly hearing. Something familiar about it…

"The Visser is right." Another voice said.

Ax? Did you hear that? Someone said 'Visser'. 

Yes, Prince Jake.

Does that mean…that _he's_ here?

I don't know. I answered.

We went back to listening.

"We can't house her much longer. The girl is getting suspicious." Another voice said.

That must be Chapman.] Prince Jake mused.

Yes, I agreed.

"The _girl_ should've been made a host long ago!" Snapped the cold voice again.

"Yes, Visser."

That…voice…must be Visser One! Prince Jake exclaimed. 

"Visser. The girl is of no importance. I can stay elsewhere. We merely need to wait for the perfect time to strike." Another voice spoke.

But who's that? Prince Jake wondered.

I do not know, Prince Jake. 

Don't call me Prince. He told me.

Yes, Prince Jake.

"Exactly. She can stay at a hotel, or another Controller's house."

"If I stay at a hotel, how will I be able to sustain contact?" A voice asked.

"Iniss-two-two-six. Who else would you leave her with?"

"Perhaps Fannaer-eight-five-one?" 

"Hmmm." Visser One-the Abomination-wondered. "I must demorph. Time is running low." 

"Yes, Visser." Chapman replied. The other voice was silent.

Whoa! Whoa! There's an Andalite in there. Visser One!

Really? We never noticed, Prince Jake said with something called 'sarcasm'. 

What are you finding out here? Cassie asked.

Not much. Chapman is getting chewed out for having someone at his house, and they're trying to figure out where this someone should stay instead. Wait- they're starting to talk again. 

Fannaer? Call him, now. He should be at one of the meetings. I heard his voice in my head, a voice of hatred and coldness. It made an anger in me grow.

"Yes Visser."

I heard something, a beeping. Then a one-sided conversation. "I think I can arrange it." Pause. "Visser One's orders, that's whose." Pause. "Fine. I'll send it home with you tomorrow." Click.

"Fannaer believes I can pass…_her_…off for an exchange student. It might not be possible though."

Excellent. And it better be possible. Very well. You are dismissed. The Visser told them.

"Thank you Visser." Chapman told him. 

"Yes Visser. 'Chapman' and his 'wife' were boring me. The girl was slightly fun…but not much." The one voice said.

[Yes yes. Just don't blow your job.] The Visser said, in a fake-polite voice.

"Wouldn't _dream_ of it, Visser…" 

Alright, lets go. Prince Jake told me. Cassie, round up the others. We're coming out.

Chapter 26- Rachel

Jake led us back to the barn, after he and Ax demorphed in a grove of trees well hidden from buildings and people. Marco, Cassie, and I demorphed too being that otherwise we'd have no time. We all remorphed quickly, and Jake led us back to the barn to explain what he and Ax had heard. 

"She…whoever…and WHATEVER…she is, is going to stay with someone. Probably a student at school. So, what students do we know of that are high-ranking Controllers?" He asked.

There was silence. Everyone knew who was a high-ranking Controller and went to our school.

"Tom probably-" Cassie began.

"Tom is a high-ranking Controller. We have to assume that he may be one of…that he might have been the person on the phone."

"But who else could it be?" Asked Marco, coming straight to the point.

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. That's why were here, Marco." 

Marco nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"Alright. Let's go to plan B."

"Plan B?" Cassie asked.

"Spying on Chapman and Tom." Jake reminded her. 

"Alright. But how?"

"I'll watch Tom," Jake said. "I'm around him all the time except when he goes to meetings." 

"Tobias should help."

Tobias will watch both as much as Tobias can, Tobias reassured us.

"Alright. Ax can watch Chapman as much as he can, along with Rachel. Marco and Cassie can spy in on meetings at the Sharing. I can tell you when they are being that Tom goes to most of them." Jake decided.

"Alright. An 'easy' mission. Spying is my specialty. Just call me…"

Here it comes, Tobias groaned. 

"Mini-Marco! Super spy."

"Don't you mean James. Or Bond? Mini-Me is from-"

"I know. You were all prepared so I was ready**." **

"Uh-huh. Ready. Right."

"Can we get back to business? Hello?" Jake called. 

Suddenly, the phone in the barn rang. Cassie picked it up.

"Hello?" Pause. "Yeah, Jake's here." Pause. "Ok, I'll get him."

"Jake?" She called, putting a hand over the phone. She handed the phone to him.

"Hello?" Pause. "Oh, hi mom." Pause. "An exchange student?" His eyes widened. Pause. "From Europe? Where?" Pause. "Don't know…" Pause. "Alright, I can be home by eight." Pause. "Bye. C-ya then." He put it back on the hook. 

"Well, I guess that answers our question whether it was Tom or not," I said dryly. 

"Well, now we'll know who…what she is. I can get to know her."

"Yeah. Hook me up with her if she's beautiful. I'd go for Rachel, but, she just isn't my type. Not as gorgeous as me."

"Or maybe it's just you're to short, Marco." I mocked, in a mock-sweet voice, batting my eyelashes. 

"Another sword wound from the mighty Xena!"

Chapter 27- Jake

I went home. I acted normal. But inside I was tense, my muscles on fire. What would the Visser's assassin look like? 

Images slipped through my head, horrible images of monsters, others of…I shook my head. I had to be smart about this. Visser One wouldn't send a monster into a human's house. Even he wasn't that stupid.

I smiled at my mom, and asked her when Tom and the exchange student would come. 

"Oh, in this hour I would assume. I don't know for sure. He just said 'soon'."

"Why isn't he coming over Monday?" I inquired.

"The plane arrived today, and she didn't have enough money to stay in a hotel until then."

"She?" I repeated.

"Yes. From Europe. I don't remember where."

"I remember that. But, your SURE he said 'she'?"

"Yes." She told me. "I didn't want it at first. With Tom around and all…But in the end I went along with it. She'll be here for a month or so."

"A month?" I echoed again.

"Yeah."

I blinked. "Well, I gotta do some studying. Test," I lied. Really, I wanted to just get out of there.

"Alright," She told me. "I'll call you when we get back. Tom's going to call me when they're ready; I'll have to pick them up." She headed out the door. 

I headed upstairs and into my room, walking slowly, thinking. How to deal with this…

I sat down on my bed, and then fell backwards. I was tired. Partly from all the morphing. Partly from the buzz going on in my head. There was so much to do…

Suddenly- "Jake! Jake! They're here!"

I blinked a few times. I must've dozed off. I rubbed sleep from my eyes, and sat up, yawning. I stretched. Then I stood up, and headed downstairs.

"Here he comes," My mom was saying. 

I came up to them- them being my mom, Tom, and a girl that seemed to be as old or maybe just a little older than Tom. 

"Hello," The girl said, in an English accent. "My name is Genia." 

Something was wrong. The voice was different from what Ax and I had heard. "Hello. I'm Jake…"

"I'm sorry that Steve couldn't be here. He had work."

"That's fine," The girl said. Genia.

"Anyway, let's get your bags.." 

"Don't worry, I can get it all." She told my mom.

"Nonsense. Tom and Jake will help too." 

We headed outside. My mom started pulling bags out of the car, while we picked them up. Tom picked up two bags, Genia two, and I took the last one.

"You'll be staying in the guest room," She told Genia. "Jake will show it to you."

I lead the way upstairs to the guest room. I sat the bags by the bed. "There's a bathroom down the hall on the left," I told her. 

"Thanks," She told me, as she sat her bags down. Tom brought his load up. 

"You can start unpacking now," He told her. I saw her give him a look, but in a 'nice' way, she told him thanks. I saw him giving her a look as well. 

__

Well well, I thought. _I guess Fannaer doesn't like her. And vice-versa._ The Yeerks had a weakness after all…

Chapter 28- Lauren

The Sharing had been alright, I guess. It had been better than I thought it'd be. It was kind of creepy though; the full members seemed to hang over your shoulder like vultures, asking if you needed something every five minutes. But otherwise. People there treated me like a normal human being. They didn't suck up, or cower and run away. And they didn't ask or talk about it either. 

When I came home, there was a note on the fridge. _GO TO SHARING TOMMORROW. _There was no 'with love' or signature. The work of Foster Mom. Foster Dad would at least sign it 'D'. I guess 'mom' thought I wasn't worthy of her name. 

I decided that, even though they had told me to go, I would anyway. Normally I ignore them because they treat me the same way whatever I do. So I sat and worked, for maybe the first time since I could remember on some homework. In a few hours, I had it finished.

I saw the clock. It was almost one. I chose to sleep then. I fluffed my pillow, struggled under the covers, and drifted off into a sleep.

Chapter 29- Fannaer Eight-Five-One/Tom

I stared at the girl, disgusted. The Visser had resorted to hiring aliens to finish off the job. I had helped her unload her 'luggage' and then went off to my host's room. 

Inside, I sat, thinking. The Andalite Bandits could surely defeat her- whatever she was. The Visser-

**__**

Doubting, Yeerk? Tom sneered. He had risen from his almost constant brooding. 

Doubting? Of course. The Visser couldn't even finish off the Andalite Bandits himself. Had to hire that scum. **__**

Oooh. The all-mighty Yeerks aren't that mighty anymore, is it?

You know, I told him, fake-nicely. _How about we watch one of your little fantasies to pass the time?_

I could feel a struggled mental shrug coming from him. _Why not?_

Why not indeed? I snickered, and chose a memory, one from when his old Yeerk, Temrash One-One-Four had been there. Temrash was dead, having disappeared. We suspected he had died when the Andalite Bandits attacked the hospital operation. _This looks promising._

The Andalite Bandits first attack on the Pool, after Visser Three had destroyed Elfangor. The Andalites opened the cages, freeing everyone, dragging human controllers with them, Tom among them. While in reality, Tom had been recaptured, in his fantasy, he managed to escape. The Andalites hid him, where he would be safe. End of fantasy.

__

I must admit, that's one of your better dreams.

Like you don't have some dreams like that of your own?

Shut up. This is not the time for displeasure's.

And when is, according to your schedule? He paused, then, mimicked my 'voice'. _Torture the human at eight, recruit humans at ten, get a raise at four, fight the human at nine._

Hah-ha. Normally, I wouldn't allow him to say that, but I didn't care at that minute. I was trying to think.

The girl. What was her name? 

__

Genia, the human snapped. 

__

No, you fool, her real name. I searched my memory, thinking hard. What had Iniss-two-two-six said? Ah yes, Estreen. It seemed ludicrous that the Visser would hire someone with an Andalite-originated name. 

__

What does that mean? Tom asked, curious. 

__

Talented morpher. Basically, anyway. I answered. I hadn't exactly studied Andalite language, I said to myself.

I heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I called.

"Genia." I heard her voice. 

I got up and answered the door.

"What," I snapped. 

"I was wondering where that building, where the Sharing meetings are held is. The last time I went," She looked around, "was in a limo with tinted windows. I couldn't exactly map the route, take my meaning?"

She spoke confidently, smoothly, like Visser Three in the middle of a 'lecture'. The arrogance in her voice annoyed me.

"I'll take you there the next meeting," I told her.

"Fine," She said. She looked at me through gray eyes. What…Hadn't they been green? I wondered. Shook my head. I must've been imagining things. I looked back up. Half-way gasped. They were brown. Blue. Purple!

"Your…eyes…" I stuttered. 

"What?" The colors stopped. "Oh. It takes concentration to hold them. I only do it when necessary."

I nodded, a little less stunned. 

She cocked an eyebrow. "The Visser did not inform you on-"

"Hi Jake," I interrupted, sending 'Genia' a look.

"Oh. Hi, Tom. Hi, Genia." He said.

__

Jake! Tom exclaimed in my head.

"Hi Jake," She said, nicely. "Well, talk to you later, Tom."

__

Yeerk filth, Tom sneered at her, silently.

"Yeah," I mumbled, halfway agreeing with Tom. At least, with the 'filth' part.

Jake looked at me oddly, shrugged, and then walked off towards his room.

And then, alone-except for a 'voice' in my head- I headed back into Tom's room.

Chapter 30- Estreen

Tom- Fannaer- drove me to The Sharing the next day. It was, the Visser had said, 'absolutely necessary that I essential that I keep contact with my employee and his minions'. To witch I had laughed. Who says 'absolutely necessary essential' in one sentence?

At the Sharing I contacted Chapman, who told me the Visser wanted my to report to Chapman as soon as I had a plan. 

__

What is this, a spy movie? I wondered, shaking my head. When I spotted her. 

"Who. Is. That?" I demanded.

"Her? I don't remember. She's not a full member. She's only been to one meeting-two, this is her second."

"Bring her over here. Now." I commanded.

"Fine," He said, a look of contempt on his face. But as soon as he turned around, his face was a smile. He made his way slowly to the girl, patting people on the back, asking if they needed anything. I couldn't hear they're conversation, but soon she was next to me. 

"Hello," She said, looking me up and down. "Who're you?"

"My name," I began, searching her face, "Is Genia." 

"Do I know you?" She asked. "Mine is Lauren."

"No. But it is, a pleasure." I said, emphasizing the word 'pleasure'. 

"Ah. Well, nice meeting you, too."'

"Yes," I smiled.

"Well." She said, but I didn't need another word from her. I knew, now. Somehow, she had survived. "I'll be seeing ya. I promised some guys I'd play a game of pool." She walked off, without waiting for my answer.

Tom turned to me. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing. She seemed familiar though," I lied. Familiar my butt. That girl, the one who claimed to be a human, was my long-lost sister.


	6. A New Player (Chapters 31-40)

Chapter 31- Tobias

"A girl? We can take on a girl." Rachel was saying. 

Let me back up. Jake had called a meeting when Tom and Genia had gone off to a meeting for The Sharing. He told us all he knew. That's how Rachel got to say that. 

Visser Three…One…wouldn't hire some human. First of all, Visser One isn't that stupid. Second, he'd hire someone that could actually do the job. Third, what would the point be of hiring some human to kill some aliens that turn into animals? I said.

Jake nodded. "Exactly. Anyway, we need to think here. What could be so powerful that the Visser would hire to attack us? And second, when…how…are we going to fight her?"

"I say we attack at night while she's asleep." Rachel contemplated.

"Even if we get her, then what about Jake's family? They'll be taken, even if they don't know anything." Cassie objected. 

Silently, everyone agreed. We don't exactly talk about Tom or Jake's family. 

"Well. What can we do then?" Marco questioned. "We can't just walk up to her and be all like 'Hey go home and we can sleep better at night'."

"Exactly. We'll have to go back to what we were going to do before: spy. But not Chapman. He probably has nothing to do with her now. But we need to spy in on a Sharing meeting. They talk about everything there." Jake said.

"Right. So when do we start?" Cassie asked.

"Tomorrow is Monday. We'll have to rely on Tobias, Marco, and Ax to work on it. I can get them schedules from Tom. All he ever talks about is the Sharing."

"See? No 'easy' mission ever ends up easy. It's always 'spy on The Sharing' or 'Check out the Yeerk Pool', or something insanely dangerous that we'd probably never want to do in a million years." 

Well, we'll have to do it. Didn't Erek say for bait they were holding people like the governor hostage or something?

"Yeah. When Marco and I talked to him, he said only three random people of importance. Like, the police chief, Mayor, stuff like that." 

There was a groan. I think it was Marco. 

"If it goes far enough to Saturday or Friday, then we'll all go in as spies. A couple of us on each high-ranking controller we know. Anyway, so far all we know is-"

"-Zilch," Marco finished.

"Erek will contact us when he or any of the other Chee get word of it."

"So…Meeting adjourned?" Marco asked casually.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Marco and I'll get Ax. We can start as soon as you want, Jake. I told him.

"Alright. You can start tomorrow, after school- that's when Tom's meetings usually are, around 6 or 8 depending the day."

Good luck, I told them. And with that, Marco morphed osprey, and we flew away towards Ax's scoop.

Chapter 32- Lauren

That girl, Genia, gave me the creeps. Not because she acted weird. She wasn't as weird around me as most people were. But because somewhere, she stirred a memory in me. Something. I couldn't reach it. But the fact was, that it was there. And that meant I had met her before. 

It was Monday. I was trudging through classes as usual, brooding. The same thoughts crossed through my head about eight times: If I know her from sometime before I was 8, then she might know where my family was. My home.

"Excuse me? Are you paying attention? Lauren?" 

I snapped awake. Usually, teachers didn't bother trying to get my attention. So that meant we had a sub…

I heard a rapping on my desk. I looked up. The sub had a pointy nose, glasses, balding hair, and a stuffy suit. I choked back a laugh. He looked like Pee-Wee Herman sixty years later. 

I could notice others had the same amused look. Pee-Wee glared at me a while longer, then returned to the board. Started up his lesson.

I paid attention for a minute, then I went back to my thoughts. The girl. She must know something. What had that guy said, she racked her brain. Tom, his name was. What had he said? _I want you to meet a guest of the Sharing._ So maybe Tom knew something of her. She'd have to ask. Next time. The next meeting was tomorrow. Tuesday. She breathed calmly again. And Pee-Wee came back. Rapped her desk again. Rapped some other kids' desks when they weren't paying attention.

__

Yeah, She thought. _Maybe she does know who I am._

Chapter 33- Ax

Tobias, Marco, and I worked hard on spying. Several times I had to morph with Tobias (Marco was not able to go, because others would be frightened by his sudden appearance when he was supposedly dead) and follow them there. Once Marco morphed fly and followed Tom while he talked with some other know Controllers. 

Eventually, we scraped together enough information to put two and two together. Or at least one and one.

"Alright. So we know that the meeting is this week, Saturday night. And we know that what's-her-name doesn't more than one hostage. And we know, or at least think that the event will take place at the abandoned warehouse," Marco counted off. 

"Good work," Prince Jake nodded. "I'll call Erek." 

Prince Jake disappeared for a minute, walking off to make the call to Erek's house. 

"What, whut do you think this person's powers, powerz are?" I asked Marco.

"Got me. Turning into a replica of evil Rachel on a bad day?" 

"Don't even think it," Cassie said. 

"Right well, we've got two days 'til we have to fight her."

"Yeah, it's going to be a boring two days," Rachel commented. 

"Ugh," 

We 'cooled' as my humans friend called it while we waited for Prince Jake. 

Finally, he appeared, his face gloomy. "What's wrong?" I asked. 

"Nothing much. Just that they know who's being held hostage. Or will be."

"Who?" Tobias demanded. He was in human morph at the time.

"The Governor." 

"We have to save his butt again?" Rachel laughed. "Or is it a different one?" 

"Different. But, still. The Governor a Yeerk?"

The others nodded. "The Governor..or..ver.. of what?" I inquired.

"The Governor of the state," Prince Jake answered. 

"Ah," I answered. "This is a problem?"

"Yeah, Ax. Just like always," Marco replied. 

Chapter 34- Rachel

2 Days Later

"It's time," Cassie said over the phone. "Meet me at the barn so we can study."

"OK. C-ya soon." I hung up. It was time, of course, for the mission. The fight.

"I'm going over to Cassie's!" I called to my mom. I went up to my room, opened the window, and began to morph bald eagle. It was still light enough to see.

The changes began quickly. I shrank down, even though I would be a huge bird. My feet became talons, my teeth shrank, and my lips became a beak. Feathers appeared and became 3-D. My bones became the light, hollow bones of a bird, and my eyes became sharper, so I saw everything in great detail, down to the tiny individual pieces of carpet. 

The changes became complete when the eagle brain emerged. With that, I flew out the window, and sped towards Cassie's.

I was the fourth there. Ax and Tobias were already there, along with Cassie. Marco and Jake hadn't arrived yet. 

"Everyone remember their morphs?" Cassie asked, making conversation.

I had forgotten I would be using an unfamiliar morph. What was it…I racked my brain.

"I'm cheetah," Cassie said to herself.

I am my rattlesnake morph. I have only used it once or twice, but I know how to control it well.

Elephant here. I only did that once. Man, we should've practiced in the valley. Tobias said.

"Polar bear," I came up with finally.

Just then, Jake and Marco arrived. Or, more accurately, a peregrine falcon and an osprey. They demorphed, and from two birds of prey emerged two boys. 

"Alright people. Everyone know their morphs?"

"Cheetah," Cassie said immediately.

Rattlesnake, my Prince.

Elephant.

"Polar bear," I said lastly.

"Marco?" Jake asked.

"Rhino, O Fearless Leader."

"And that leaves me with Hork-Bajir. Remember, we don't want anything to happen to the Governor. Worst comes to worst, the strongest ones distract them, and the others get him." 

"Let's do it!" I exclaimed as usual.

"Yes sir, sir!" Marco saluted.

"Whatever."

And with that, I morphed bald eagle once again, as the others became various birds of prey.

Chapter 36- Marco

We flew. And flew, and flew. The warehouse was practically on the other side of town. But it would've taken longer as humans.

Finally, as the sun started setting, we spotted it. Or, at least, Cassie spotted it. 

Over there! To the far left! Cassie exclaimed.

I see it! Rachel said.

One by one, we dove down, into a nearby alley. Demorphed. Then, while Tobias stood watch, we morphed our various morphs.

I had only done rhino once, back with our David experience. It had been a morph for extreme measures. So there I was, becoming a rhino again.

The first change was my face. It bulged out and out and out and out some more, like I had just eaten some fighting animal that was trying to get out my nose.

Not a pleasant thought.

Next, my skin grew leathery, hard and gray. A little tail sprouted. 

My ears moved up my head and grew pointy like devil horns, and my eye sight faded to a mere blur. My legs became tree trunks. Gray tree trunks that is. There had to be a joke in there somewhere. 

Finally, the horns popped out. First a long one, then a little baby horn. I stared blindly ahead, waiting for the last-minute changes to finish. When the rhino mind surfaced.

It wasn't worried. There were no challengers. No threats. I sniffed.

Everyone done? Asked Jake. There was a chorus of 'Yeses'. Alright, Tobias, your turn.

Tobias would morph last, so that we had cover almost the whole time. Tobias, come on down! Its time for Morph-a-Freak.

Ha-ha. He said dryly. 

I could barely see him. He only entered my view as a huge gray blur. 

Done, Tobias said almost a minute later.

Let's… Rachel began. 

[Do it! I finished.

Hey! 

Couldn't resist it, I laughed.

We charged forward, a small army. Small, meaning our numbers. We were at least a few tons worth, what with me and Tobias. Jake carried Ax, being that was faster. I've been a snake, and though they strike faster than lightning, they don't move as fast as a charging rhino. 

Rachel was in front of me, and Cassie, behind me, pointed me along so I didn't wander off.

Until at last, I saw the building. Or at least a blurry rectangle.

Head for the door, Jake ordered. 

What door? I wondered aloud.

To your right, Cassie advised. 

I moved the way she had directed. Then, I picked up speed. I heard a loud 'WHAM!' as Tobias slammed into the wall. And a 'CRU-NCH' as it fell in. And then, we entered the building.

Chapter 37- Cassie

Honey, I'm home! Marco joked. Over his massive bulk, I could see the room. Ahead was a row of human Controllers with automatic weapons and a few with Dracon beams. 

"ANDALITE!" Screamed one. Suddenly, there was the sound of weapons being cocked. 

What's going on? Marco asked me.

About fifty human-Controllers have guns and Dracon beams pointed at us. I explained.

That's all? He muttered.

"Hold your fire," One human commanded. The leader, I guess. "The Visser wants her to do away with the Andalites, and I wouldn't like to be responsible for the deaths of 6 Andalite Bandits when he specifically ordered her to do it."

The Controllers edged their fingers from the triggers, but only enough so that if their fingers accidentally slipped they wouldn't shoot.

"Quickly," The same human snapped. "Go get her."

One of them raced off, disappearing into the gloom. 

"Half-Andalite scum," The leader grumbled. "Can't kill 6 Andalite Bandits, so he hires a freak with an Andalite-originated name to do it instead." 

We stole a few glances at each other. Or attempted to.

As soon as she comes, and I say, I throw Ax. Tobias charge towards the Human-Controllers to scare them off, the others attack. Jake ordered.

I think he was about to say something else, but at that moment, she appeared. The human-Controller followed slowly behind her. 

The leader Controller stopped his muttering, and faked a smile for her. 

"The Andalite bandits, Estreen. Just as you said." 

"Good," She said, not even glancing at him. She stared at us, with steel-gray eyes. Blue, I mean. Green?

"Finally," She sighed. "A real challenge." Then she turned for the first time to the human-Controllers. "Back to your posts. I have no use for you now." She commanded.

"But-we..the Andalites-" The leader stuttered.

"Would you like me to explain your reasoning to Visser One?" She said, in a low, silky voice.

"N-no." He licked his lips worriedly. "Of course not." To his officers he said, "Back to your posts! She wishes to fight them herself. So she shall…" 

"Wonderful." She watched them scurry off to their jobs, all of them disappearing from the room we were in. "Fools," She said to us. "The Yeerks, I mean. At least you Andalites are organized."

I could practically feel Ax swell from behind the others. 

"Such a pity," She said, almost to herself. "But no matter. My job is to kill you, so I might as well get to it."

And then I saw it. Her eyes were switching colors faster, faster. Purple! Blue! Green! Gray!BROWN!YELLOW!RED!BLUE!

Then I saw the changes beginning.

Chapter 38- Tobias

The girl, or whatever she was, was changing. Morphing.

Impossible! Ax cried. Only Andalites have the power to morph!

Yeah, weird, isn't it? I said distractedly. 

What's going on? Marco demanded.

The girl's morphing into…something. Something weird.

Her eyes became a lifeless black, almost gaping holes, but in them you could see emotion. Her skin turned greenish lava cracked red and black. She looked almost like a version of a Howler.

Instead of a 'human' face though, it grew a long, pointed beak, like a Hork-Bajir, with up-pointing horns on her head. The fingers became long, almost delicate, claw-tipped fingers. Her legs became paws, like a Pemalite's or Chee's. A toe-claw popped out instead of a sixth toe. Knee blades and elbow blades popped out. 

All of this happened in less than a minute. The changes were so rapid, I could barely see them. 

"Welcome Andalites," She said in a deep guttural voice. "Welcome to your doom."

Oook. That was…moviesh. Rachel said. 

"Which of you shall I fight first? The elephant? The cat? The Hork-Bajir?" She counted us off in the same, deep gruff voice.

I'll fight you, Rachel challenged. She stepped forward.

I could see the amusement in the creature's eyes. "A bear?"

Rachel roared a challenge. The thing blinked. Then she said, "Very well. You may make the first move." 

Rachel paused. Then she charged. The biggest carnivore on the land today ran towards a monster Earth had never seen.

Rachel was close. She was inches away when…

The monster leapt over her! Seconds, millimeters from being flattened by a rampaging polar bear, she had evaded it. Not impossible, but definitely surprising. Rachel skidded to a stop a few feet after missing her.

"That the best you can do?" Estreen laughed. 

Whoa, Jake commented.

"Try again."

Rachel growled, and barreled forward. This time, the monster didn't jump. It moved to the side. But Rachel had been going slow enough so she could turn, turned too. And then polar bear flesh hit alien flesh, and neither did too well.

The monster was flung back a few feet, only one or two, and Rachel sat dazed a minute on the floor.

"Excellent." The monster approved to our surprise. "My turn."

There was a flash of movement, and suddenly, the thing wasn't where it had been. Rachel had time to stand on all fours, and blink, when-

AAAAHhhh! She cried. There were four bright slashes on her face. Pinpricks to a polar bear, but they hurt just the same. Annoyed, she rumbled. 

I swear the monster formed a toothy grin. "You Andalites have a lot to learn."

Suddenly, Rachel swiped a massive paw at thing. While she had been gloating, Rachel sneaked up close enough to strike.

Suddenly, she wasn't laughing anymore. She was on the floor. Even the monster she had become couldn't stand a polar bear's one foot paw slamming into its face.

"Unnn…" She moaned.

Hah! Take that, you creep. Rachel said. But she knew better than to stand there gloating. She moved in, to take another hit.

Then…WHAM! The monster slammed a fist into Rachel's face. Except, she had kept the claws on her hands pointing out, and they dug into her flesh. Unlike her last attack, this hurt.

"Stupid Andalite." She sneered.

Rachel! I called. You OK?

Yeah. That hurt though.

Estreen turned back to her human form. "Andalites have either gotten slower or else they've gotten stupider."

Yeerk filth! Ax exclaimed angrily, trying to protect his species.

She turned. "Yeerk filth? I'm no Yeerk. Though I tend to agree with that phrase. Yeerks have no profit, and therefore the worst things to trade usually."

I saw Jake tighten his grip on Ax. Jake, I whispered urgently. We can't stay in morph forever. 

I saw Jake nodding. On three, he told everyone. We all attack. Alright?

Estreen/Genia had already switched back to her monster form, and was moving towards Rachel at a fast pace. 

One… 

She raised a clawed hand.

Two…

She aimed.

THREE!!!

Chapter 38- Jake

We sprang forward, a roaring, charging, clawing cloud. I threw Ax at Genia/Estreen when we got close. He flew through the air, and landed a foot away from her. Rachel dragged herself closer to her. 

I hit first. I slid into her like a baseball player sliding home. My feet kicked her's out from under her, and she slammed to the pavement floor with me, a bladed heap. Cassie hit next, catching up with us with cheetah speed. She used teeth and claws to attack, Ax slithered in next. While we provided distraction, Rachel demorphed and remorphed grizzly, a morph she new better, while I hoped we wouldn't be killed because I made everyone use morphs they weren't used to. 

SLASH! I swept an elbow blade at her, while she kicked with her toe-claw, and Cassie bit, and Ax tried to figure out when to bite so he didn't hit us. We were like one of those cartoon dust clouds, with the fighting sounds coming out. We slashed, bit, clawed, and cried out!

Cassie pulled back, leaving an opening for Rachel to slam into Estreen. Cassie sat, panting. Cheetahs are meant for sprints and one solid hit, not fighting frenzies. She would have to demorph and remorph wolf. And Ax couldn't attack, neither could Marco or Tobias. I should've planned…

Ahh! I cried out from a pair of claws that hit my eyes. The creature Estreen had become was wearing down, but you could barely tell. But it was also meant for speedy attacks and retreats, not full-in battles. She hadn't planned either. At least, so I thought.

The I saw- or, at least, didn't see. The fighting had stopped when she slipped out of our 'cloud'. We stepped back, panting, and bleeding from a dozen wounds. Ax and Cassie had demorphed, and Cassie was now a wolf. She hadn't been able to join our fray. But Estreen, too, was bleeding. Just not as much. She panted for a moment, then spoke. "You tricked me. But that's all right. I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well."

The she morphed again. She grew taller, and taller. Her beak became a snout, and her flesh became scaled. A tail sprouted and grew three foot spikes. Her 'paws' became dinosaur feet, and her muzzle grew long, pointy teeth. Her clawed hands changed, growing longer, and splitting at the elbow to form to arms each. Stubby fingers formed on each 'arm', and from each one bulged a long, long wicked looking claw. Over each eye a 'horn' grew, and all in all, she looked like a prehistoric dino brought to life. But then, the _second_ head grew. A second head sprouted next to the other, except it had a pteradon head, with one difference: this pteradon head had a huge horn and a toothy beak.

Marco, who had also somehow managed to demorph and remorph gorilla whispered to me:Who does she think she is? Visser Three?

The final change then happened. Leathery wings sprouted from its bony back. They grew and grew and grew, to the point where you figured it could probably fly. Which was not too comforting.

I'm afraid. Marco said, in a strangely calm way.

DIE ANDALITES! The voice said in our head. At the same time, the "bird"-head seemed to shriek it too. It came out as a high-pitched thought-speech cry. 

Suddenly, the beast leapt into the air! It grabbed Tobias, in elephant morph in its claws and 'feet' and looked like it was ready to pop him open like a six-pack. 

AAAAAAH!

TOBIAS! I cried.

We were helpless! It was above us, with Tobias semi-dragging on the floor, flying madly in raging circles. When I saw-

MOVE! I yelled, dodging out of the way. She dropped Tobias onto the floor where we had just been. I covered my head as small pieces of cement flew from the spot where Tobias had fallen. 

Tobias! Are you alright? I demanded, standing up.

I think I broke a leg! What do I do, demorph?!

No! She can't know you're a hawk. Wait for us to start another distraction!

Distraction? Distract THAT?! It'll…it'll eat us like we're animal crackers! Marco cried.

But Estreen wasn't done yet; she'd just begun.

"EEEEEEEAAAARRRRRRRRKKKKK!" The monster she'd become roared. 

She slammed onto the floor beside me. She eyed me, and then slashed with an awkward-placed claw. I dodged easily. The monster was frightening, and dangerous in the air, but otherwise clumsy on the ground. Slow at least.

I kicked into her leg, and might as well have been sticking a toothpick into an elephant. But I did penetrate her skin.

Everyone, attack!

We did. Marco, in gorilla morph punched, but that didn't do much. Ax in Andalite form slashed again and again with his tail. Rachel swiped her paws, and Cassie bit and chewed. And, more importantly, Tobias demorphed.

But too slow! Already Estreen was shrinking at warp speed, and becoming her 'normal' self. The beak-dino-Pemalite-Howler thing. And we were running out of time.

Chapter 39- Lauren

I snapped awake. Something was happening. I could feel it. I had been dreaming of green-and-black-and-red lava creatures attacking a weird bladed beast. But they were like nothing I had ever seen. But something… What was happening to me? Was I mad?

I slid out of bed, and turned a light on, and put regular clothes on instead of sleeping clothes. Then I quietly opened the door, and headed downstairs, and grabbed my coat and slithered out the door.

Pulling my hood up, and ducking my head down from people, I headed down the street. I didn't know where I was going. Just…somewhere. 

I sped down the sidewalk, pushing past the very rare walking person. It was late. Or early, depending on your point of view. One in the morning, and pitch black, except for the street lamps that barely lit the way. There were shadows everywhere, and I was, for once, scared. But I kept walking, head down, watching my feet. I turned, went straight, and turned again and again and again. I just wanted to be anywhere. Inside me I felt a gut-wrenching sickness, and it only sped me on, until I was running through the night, panting, moving faster and faster through the darkness.

I shoved past the third person I'd seen, slowing down again. I panted for a minute, then resumed running. And then, I felt it. I was there. 

I stood before the looming shape of the abandoned warehouse.

Chapter 40- Lauren

I approached it, and heard sounds coming from it. Roars and muffled words. I stopped, knowing whatever I did was about to change my life. Whether I walked away or went in. 

That's when I saw the hole in the wall. I peered in, and through it, I saw the bladed beast from my dreams. And there, slashing and roaring was the other monster. The beaked, bladed-slash-human thing. I stared, and I saw a wolf, a hawk, and a gorilla attack the bladed-slash-human thing. Then something else came into view. A centaur-four eyed-scorpion tailed creature attacking with its tail. 

I shrank to the side, breathing hard. Aliens? Did this have to do with, with what Principal Chapman had been talking about on that long-ago night in the construction site? I didn't know. But suddenly, life seemed a bit…life-draining.

I slid to the ground, my back to the wall. I took another deep breath. Calmed down a bit. And peeked in through the hole again.

The bladed, six or seven foot monster was trying to pull back, but the green, red, and black lava thing was continuing the attack. And I heard a voice, finally. It must've been shouted for me to hear it.

"Can't demorph, Andalite!" It snarled. I think it was the lava beast. "I'll trap you if I can't destroy you!"

I moved away from the hole and had three seconds to think _"What?"_ when I felt it. I slammed myself to the ground just as a huge _THING_ leapt at me. It hit the wall where I would've been a few seconds later, and fell onto me. 

The wind was knocked from my lungs, and I was pinned under the beast. "Uhhhnng." I groaned. 

The creature above me hissed. But then, as suddenly as it had been there, it was gone. It leapt off me, and loped off, a brown blur. And that's when I heard "RETREAT!". At least, I thought I did. And through the hole in the wall ran a gorilla, bladed-beast, bear, wolf, hawk, and the alien thing.


	7. A New Player (Chapters 41-46)

Chapter 41- Ax

It was I who saw the human first. The others were focused on escaping. I couldn't blame them; but when you have four eyes you can pretty much see everything even when focused on something else.

I had been watching to make sure Estreen didn't follow us. But she stayed in the building. I was surprised the human Controllers didn't attack us. When I realized we had forgotten the Governor. Which was why I twisted, and saw the human girl laying in a pile by the wall.

Tobias, Prince Jake! I called. They turned. Saw the girl and were silent. [We must retrieve the Governor as well,] I whispered urgently.

Prince Jake snapped 'back to reality' as my friends said. Alright. Rachel, you and Marco and Tobias and Cassie get the Governor, while Ax and I deal with the girl.

The others slunk off to demorph and remorph something that could slip in without causing an uproar, while we walked up to the girl.

"You..you.." She said, trembling with what I believe was fear.

You? Prince Jake said. 

"In my.." Her eyes widened.

In your head. Prince Jake said patiently.

Prince Jake, I would suggest you demorph. You only have four minutes in morph! I said the last part with emphasis.

Yeah. Uh, you talk to her. He walked off to demorph.

Do no be afraid, I told the human girl.

"Not…you're…alien…" She mumbled.

Yes. I am an Andalite, I told her. 

"Anda-what?"

Andalite.

"And..he.." She said, still scrunched against the wall.

He- 

Prince Jake came back, remorphed as a Hork-Bajir. He smiled at the human. I believe this caused her to be even more afraid.

"You," He said aloud, his voice rough. "Have seen too much."

The girl shrank against the wall at his words.

We'll have to take her with us, He told me silently.

Yes, I agreed.

Suddenly, the girl shot to a standing point. She tried at run, but she fell. She looked up at Prince Jake and I. 

Should we wait for the others? How do we take her back?

Whatever we do, we can't let her see us as human. He told me.

The others suddenly appeared. Marco was back in gorilla morph, carrying a tied and gagged aged human. 

We better get out of here. He saw the girl What are we doing with her? He demanded. 

She's seen too much. Jake told him. We can't have a girl running around talking about Andalites and Hork-Bajir and gorillas and bears and wolves and hawks and monsters running around. 

We're making a new Animorph? May I remind you of David? Rachel said. She wasn't prejudiced, she was making a point. A good one, at that. 

We might as well. We've already got the Governor.

How? She's not unconscious. The Governor is. Big difference.

Easily changed though.

Rachel tapped the girl on the head, and she dropped like a bag of rocks.

It's now or never. We leave her, or we don't. The Controllers will get her if we leave her. And the Controllers will get us if we don't get out of here fast!

Let's vote, and quickly, Prince Jake decided. I'm for it. I'm not going to leave somebody to be taken as a Controller. There's no other hope for her otherwise.

I say no. Remember David? Marco said. 

I agree with Jake, Cassie said.

No, Rachel said. We don't know anything about her. She's either above us in school or she goes to a different one. We don't even know her name!

Tobias was resting on Rachel's shoulder. I say, yeah. I mean, I know we don't know anything about her, but none of you knew me really. I remember David, but I don't know…

It was three to two. If I voted 'no' we would probably drag her out of the area, but no more. If I said yes, we would make her one of us, and use the 'blue box'. 

Yes, I said. David tried to kill all of us. But this human does not seem to be at all like David. I think we should take her.

Four to two. She would be one of us. 

An Animorph

Chapter 42- Visser One

"THEY GOT AWAY?!" He roared, angrily. He was talking to the girl over the phone. 

"Yes Visser. With the Governor. But, they didn't get away easily. I almost destroyed them."

"But they got away." He said in a dangerous, silky-smooth voice.

"Next time, we will do it my way, Visser. And we will see if those Andalite Bandits escape." There was a click.

She had hung up. 

The Visser slammed the phone onto the receiver, quivering with anger. He demorphed.

He paced his quarters until he calmed. Then, he stood, brooding. 

Yes, he would let her do it her way. But this was the last failure he would allow. 

It would be a fight to the death. And only one side would win.

Maybe not even that. 

Chapter 43- Marco

So we took her. Ax morphed human, but we had to risk Rachel. How else would we carry a full-grown guy and some girl around? 

Tobias morphed human too. That way, he wouldn't fly into any walls. As human, he could complain about bad eyes and stuff. Like we didn't have anything else to worry about.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired. I could sleep forever." I yawned for emphasis. 

"We all are. Now, what are we going to do with the Governor? Leave him on the street? Or..what?"

"Drop him off at a police station. No, wait. Controllers will grab him there." I mused.

How about we give him to the police, figure out what to do with the girl, and go to bed? Rachel grumbled.

"Yeah." 

Jake sighed his "I'm-the-leader-and-I've-got-to-make-a-decision-that'll-decide-the-fate-of-mankind" sigh.

"Alright. We go to the police. Cassie? Owl."

Immediately, Cassie started morphing. She'd find the police station so we could get home and go to bed. Morphing tires you out. And so does fear. We little Animorphs had had a lot of both tonight, and we were tired enough to sleep walk. At least, I was.

We waited for her to come back, and guide us. Ax was off in his own little world with Tobias, and Jake was standing, deep in thought. Rachel just seemed to be focused on not collapsing to the ground in a heap, and crushing the Governor in the process. 

Me, I was focused on thinking up a good joke. That's what I do. And just as I was about to say it, Cassie came back.

Found it! It's only four blocks away, luckily. You need to turn right up here.

So we started walking again. Cassie told us where to turn and where to go straight. We got close, then morphed. See, if there were any cop Controllers on duty, we weren't about to get caught. We had had a long night, and weren't ready to take any more.

I went gorilla, and took the girl. I'd wait outside, so they didn't see her. The other demorphed, or morphed, depending. And off they sneaked into the station. I heard a "What the…" and so on. An alarm went off. Then- my friends burst out of the station. They demorphed. Ax and Tobias morphed human again. And off we went.

"The girl can stay with me." Cassie said. 

"Alright. You're sure?" Jake asked.

"Uh-huh. Don't worry. My parents won't ground me like Rachel's."

Jake nodded. "Alright. Marco and Cassie take her home." 

OOOoh, Cassie. I said, slipping up beside her, and giving her a wink. Jake's not worried I won't steal his girl?

Jake shook his head, and Cassie said, "No. Because you already have a girl."

I missed that! Oh, another spear, this time by Cassie!

Chapter 44- Cassie

Marco and I walked home. He kept cracking jokes about him being on a date with me, and vice versa. But I dealt with it. We were tired, and it kept us awake.

The girl stirred several times, and we had to kind of keep her unconscious. 

Marco walked in with me to my room, and laid the girl onto the bed softly. Should we wake her up?

"No. She'd make too much noise. We'll leave her here for tonight. I'll sleep on the floor. And I'll make sure she doesn't pull anything."

OK. He said. He demorphed, and I opened my window. He remorphed osprey.

"Bye Marco," I said.

C-ya Cassie. Be careful.

"Yeah."

And with that, he flew off into the night air.

* * *

I fell asleep as soon as I hit the floor, not bothering to grab a pillow. And so I slept. And was really glad tomorrow wasn't going to be a school day. 

I had recounts of the battle that day in my dreams. Except, this time, the girl had Visser Three with her. If that had happened in real life, we would have been dead in the first three seconds. Visser Three would've kept the human Controllers there to attack along side him. Six Animorphs verses two morph-capable monsters with terrorizing morphs from the darkest corners of the galaxy along with human Controllers that had machine guns and Dracon beams and we would've been dead in minutes. Maybe not even.

As long as Visser Three and the Controllers stayed out of it, we might win. A huge, huge, maybe. Like, one in a trillion. At the most two. 

But now, with this girl… I tried to picture her in my mind, but I was slipping into the types of dreams you cannot control. All I saw was a human that I knew was female, turning into the creature that Estreen had become.

And then I saw-

"Wake up! Hey! Wake up!" A voice called. I felt a sharp pain in my side. I opened my eyes. 

"What..?"

"It's about time." The girl stood over me. I realized she was older than me. Maybe a year or two. "Now that you're awake, can you tell me exactly what's going on?"

"Uhn." I answered stupidly, still more asleep than awake. 

"Hello. I'm talking to you." She said. 

"My name is Cassie." I said.

"Yeah? Well my name is Lauren. And I'd like to know what's going on."

"I'll tell you in a minute. Let me make a phone call."

And that's how we ended up in the barn, explaining to some girl we didn't even know that parasitic aliens were invading the planet.

Chapter 45- Tobias

"Let me get this straight. You guys turn into animals to fight brain-stealing aliens and he's an alien called an Andalite whose name is 'Aximili-Esagarrouth-Isthil', whose brother gave you the power to turn into animals and is the father of one of you which make's 'Aximili-Esagarrouth-Isthil' his Uncle, and you all think it's an average day to become another type of alien to kick alien butt is normal?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Jake said.

"That's it. I'm outta here. This is nuts." She said.

"See! I'm not the only one who thinks that." Marco said. 

Lauren moved over to the door. Jake calmly stood in front of it.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way." Lauren told him.

"I don't think so."

Lauren was taller than Jake by about four inches. She stared down at his eyes. 

"Ax? Demorph." Jake said. Lauren turned around and stared, with a nasty look on her face. She stared at Ax, who was in human morph.

The first change was the eyes. Stalk eyes popped out of his head, and from them eyes grew. His human eyes changed shape, and his mouth disappeared. His nose became three slits, and his hands grew more fingers. A tail emerged, and grew a scythe blade, and his skin turned to bluish tan fur. Extra legs popped out of his chest and became Andalite legs and hooves. His human legs changed and his feet turned into hooves. There was a grinding of bones throughout the whole thing, and his organs swishing, which made you want to puke without the whole body-changing thing. But it was done. Ax was now 100% Andalite.

"That was gross." Lauren said. "Ok, so maybe he is an alien, and maybe you guys can become animals, and maybe those Yorks or Yolks or whatever they are do exist. But what does that have to do with me?" 

"They're Yeerks. And, it has everything to do with you. See, we can give you the power to morph, change into animals, and help us fight them." Jake explained.

"Uh-huh. Let me guess. I have to kill someone and drink their blood to be initiated?." She said dryly.

"No. Just touch this." He told her, holding out the blue box. Escalf's Device.

"Yeah right. Didn't you say Aximili-whatever was the Uncle of one of you?" 

"Yes." Jake said, in his "I'm-getting-mad' voice. If Lauren noticed, she paid no attention.

"And who is it?" 

Jake sighed. "Lauren, meet Tobias."

And I flew down to Rachel's shoulder.

Chapter 46- Lauren

OK, there were aliens. I could deal with that. It could explain something, I supposed. But still. I didn't ask to get some crummy powers to turn into animals and bugs and whatever. I just wanted to live my life in peace. Well, not exactly. I did want to find out who my real family was. And maybe morphing could help me. But I didn't want to fight evil brain-stealing aliens just because some kids younger than me said I had to, know that I knew what I knew.

Tobias was a bird. A red-tailed hawk they said. He had stayed past the morpher time limit, two hours, and was a bird now. Wonderful; something to add onto my list of 'No's'. 

I didn't like the one called Cassie, or Ax that much. Marco was funny, and Rachel was cool, but Jake seemed all tense all the time. Tobias…well, Tobias didn't speak that much.

I listened to them awhile more, and tried to get out again, but they blocked my path. So I touched the box.

I felt a tingling sensation, like all my body was falling asleep or something, and then it was over.

"That's it?" I asked, knowing the answer. I was in. I was one of them. 

"Yeah." Jake said. "We should get her a morph to practice. Cassie, what's the best thing she could become right now?"

"Well, we've got a seagull, marlin, wolf, and one of our horses. She should probably become a horse. Or maybe the marlin."

"She can try the wolf. Rachel, go Grizzly just incase."

I stood, watching Rachel grow up and up grow fur, and could've stood until she was done, but Jake said something, which shook me from my trance.

"What do I do?" I questioned.

"Just touch the wolf. Picture it in your head." So I did, feeling silly. I touched the wolf's coarse fur, and pictured it in my head. Then I let go after a minute.

"Now what? Should I be at one with the force?" 

"Picture the animal in your head again. Feel the wolf." Jake said. 

I did what he said. I pictured the wolf, feeling it's rough fur. I opened my eyes. And saw gray fur spreading over my body. And I felt a tail sprout. An itching as my teeth grew, my face bulged. 

I closed my eyes.

I felt the changes, but no pain. And then I felt myself shrinking, but growing more powerful.

Suddenly, the changes stopped. I opened my eyes. 

I could see EVERYTHING! I could smell things that had been there weeks ago, I could smell the bear that was Rachel and the smell of human Rachel. There were no smells that I couldn't smell. I was alive!

I could hear much better too. My eyes- 

And then I felt a gut-wrenching pain.

I tried to scream, but all that came out was 'OOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!'

"Picture the words in your mind and focus on who you want to send them too." Cassie told me.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I said. AAAAAAHHHH!AHH! IT HURTS!

"Demorph!" Cassie cried. 

How?! Aaaahh!

Picture yourself in your mind as human! Rachel said. I could hear the words in my head.

I did. And as I changed back, the pain faded. It was gone. I breathed hard.

"Oooh…" I moaned. "That hurt."

Jake bit his lip. "Rachel, demorph. Ax?"

Yes, Prince Jake? The Andalite said. His voice! In my head as well. 

"Do you know what's wrong?"

No. Lauren, what did this pain feel like?

"It felt like someone was gutting me like a fish, and like I was getting shot in the stomach at the same time," I said through gritted teeth. I could still feel the pain.

Um..um… Ax said. It sounds like she is feeling rejection to the power. It is very rare, but it does happen on occasion. Any time she tries to morph she will feel this pain she just felt.

"Well that's just wonderful." Marco said. "We give someone the power and they can't even use it."

"Oooh." I repeated.

"Ax, is there any reason in particular why she can't morph?"

He shook his head. I do not know. It can happen sometimes because of a certain disease one can have. Or if they try to receive the morphing power again, it works as a way that _nothlits_ cannot try to recover it.

"So what you're saying is that either she has some weird disease, she already has the morphing power, or else she's a _nothlit_?"

It is merely speculation. I don't know… Ax said.

"Speculation is all we have. So now we have to figure out what's going on."

And I felt all eyes fall upon me.


	8. A New Player (Chapters 47-51)

Chapter 47- Estreen

I had failed to capture the Andalite Bandits. That much was true. But now the Visser would allow me to do it my way. 

I hadn't come across a real challenge in awhile. Often I find my reputation helps. Or disadvantages me, depending on your view. But I was tired of walking into a room, pulling a Shredder or Dracon Beam or some other weapon's trigger and being off to receive payment. There was no fun, no real challenge there.

These Andalites intrigued me. But not as much as the girl. My sister. The one they thought was a human named Lauren.

But I didn't know where she lived. Nor did anyone else at the Sharing apparently. And I didn't know her last name. 

That's when I had a thought. Chapman, hadn't he said his host's job was being a Principal at a school? I knew enough about earth to know that that meant he would most likely know where Lauren lived. But I couldn't call him at the humans' house with the mother around. The boy and Yeerk mostly ignored me, and the father was gone, as usual. But she seemed intent on marking my every move. 

Mothers are very protective, no matter what species. 

So I wandered around the house until I bumped into the boy. Jake. 

"Hello," I said as pleasantly as I could despite my mood.

"Hey." He said with the same fake pleasantry. 

"Jake, I was wondering if you knew a girl named Lauren. She's maybe a year older than you." 

"Lauren?" He paused, considering. "No, I don't think so. Have you asked Tom?" 

"Tom doesn't." I lied. 

"Sorry." He shrugged. 

I felt a small rage boiling in me. The casual manner of this boy, Jake, and his 'brother', the Yeerk Fannaer. 

I breathed several times to relieve the anger. Then I smiled. Anyone who knew me would be ready to run from the room and hide. Jake was indifferent if he noticed, and I stalked off to 'my' room, hoping Jake's mother would get a life by the time I came out. 

Chapter 48- Rachel

We stared at the girl, Lauren. She had just morphed wolf and demorph, she had gotten through it without almost any problems, but when she had morphed, she complained about a pain. 

But now we stared as Ax explained why and how. They were maybes, but they were serious accusations. She was either a _nothlit_ like Tobias, or she had the morphing power already, or she had some weird disease. Two of the theories meant she might be an Andalite in morph. Or Visser Three. The other one…well, who knows?

But there was no way of knowing. Unless Lauren told us.

She denied two of them. Already having the power and being a _nothlit._ The other one, there was no way we could figure out. Ax said the diseases would most likely affect only Andalites, but there could be human diseases that rejected the morphing power. It wasn't like Andalites had designed it for humans really. So what we're we to do? 

That's what I wanted to know. Then…

Ax! Morph, now. Might want to hide Lauren, Tobias exclaimed. Cassie's dad is coming. Towards the barn.

Immediately, Ax began to morph. But not to human. A while back, we had a bad experience with Ax in human morph and Cassie's dad. He was going fly. Lauren dived into an empty stall and hid under some hay. Thirty seconds later, Ax was a fly. Marco was gone too. Just Jake, Cassie, and I were left. We started up a conversation about school. Something about the dance coming up in a month or so. 

Here he comes, Tobias said. Get ready.

"No way is Alex taking Tiffany," I said loudly for Cassie's dad to hear. 

Cassie's dad walked in. 

"Oh, hi dad." Cassie smiled. 

"Hi." Jake and I said brightly.

"Oh, hi kids." He acknowledged. 

"We'll leave if you're busy." Jake said, still grinning idiotically. 

"Just checking on the patients." He told us. 

"I fed the animals," Cassie reported. "But I haven't finished giving them their meds."

"OK. Be careful with that new raccoon." Cassie's dad walked out. Tobias reported when it was safe for Marco and Ax and Lauren to come out of hiding.

"Whew. That was close." Marco said. 

"Phel!" Lauren spat some straw out of her mouth. "Remind me to thank you for the wonderful journey and story. Don't forget to have me remind you I'm allergic to hay and straw." She sneezed and coughed some more hay up. "Yuck. Hay in the mouth, no good."

I nudged Marco. "She'd fit right in with your sense of humor."

"Ah yes. You have Tobias, Jake has Cassie, and I have Lauren, who does Ax get? That one genius Andalite girl that was here?" 

"Exactly."

Lauren pulled hay out of her pockets and hair and socks while Jake talked with Ax about what was wrong. Cassie gave medication to the animals, and Tobias kept watch. Marco watched Lauren. I sat watching the others.

"Excuse me? Shouldn't we be planning on how we're going to beat that Estreen thing?"

"Estreen?" Lauren asked, still looking for more straw and hay.

"Yeah. Some psycho bounty-hunter Visser One sent after us. You found us at the first battle. She was some sort of weird slap-happy monster at the time. I was the gorilla."

"I was the bear. Cassie the wolf. Jake the Hork-Bajir-"

"It was _him_ I saw in my dreams, wasn't it?" Lauren interrupted. 

"What? What dream?" Jake snapped to our conversation.

"I had a dream before I started wandering around. Some bladed seven foot monster fighting some lava-green video game reject. That's why I came to the warehouse."

"Oook. Anyone want to call Erek?" 

I'll find him. I don't have to morph to go get him.

"Alright, Tobias." Jake approved. "Now, Rachel, Marco, Cassie? Get her up to speed. Tell her everything. Ax? I need to talk to you some more."

Ax and Jake pulled off into a corner while Marco and Cassie and I began to explain everything to Lauren. The Chee, Visser One, the Hork-Bajir, the Gedds, Peace Movement, anything we could remember. Our salvation had been not telling David everything, but we had no time for suspicions. We had to defeat this Estreen thing, had to.

If Lauren turned out to be a traitor, we'd be in trouble. We had to have her feel she could trust us. That she was a part of our team. At the same time, we had to trust her. We didn't know anything about her really, but we had to hope.

Had to.

Chapter 49- Jake

Erek appeared while I was talking to Ax about possibilities of why Lauren couldn't morph. We had to understand why she couldn't morph, to see if we could do anything to help or…something. 

"Tobias tells me you need my assistance."

"Who's that?" Erek asked, spotting Lauren. "Should I-" 

"No." I answered, cutting him off. "Erek? Meet Lauren. She's the new member."

"You mean, you gave her the morphing power?" He demanded. 

"Yeah. We did. Look, Erek, we might need you to cover for us again. The battle against Estreen didn't go too well." 

He nodded. "Alright. Can do. Anything else?"

"We need all the information you can give us about Estreen."

Erek shook his head. "I don't know anything very useful. I know that she's some sort of well-known bounty hunter. She doesn't care who she's hired to kill, no matter if it is Yeerk or Andalite or some other species. She was born in the human year 1950-"

Marco interrupted with a whistle. "She looks pretty young for some space alien that's about-"

"Like I was saying, she was born in the human year 1950. I don't know what species she is, so I don't know her approximate age by her standards. Her two brothers were murdered, her mother is dead, and she had a sister, who is supposed dead. No one knows what happened to her father, if he's dead or what. She went into her current business when she was twenty by human standards. That's all I know."

I nodded. "Thanks Erek. That could be useful. We need to find out something more though; weaknesses, something."

He nodded. "I'll see if any of the other Chee know anything. I can see if there are any files on her from previous Chee memories, or Yeerk encounters."

Ax nodded. That could be useful. If we only knew a few more things, I'm sure we could come up with a satisfactory plan.

"Exactly. We just need to plan this well. Alright, boys, girls, aliens and freaks. We need more spy coverage. Ax, Tobias and Marco, you're on it again. I have three tests this week and I need to study."

"I have make-up work." Rachel sighed. "Plus tests."

"Same here." Cassie said. "Too bad we can't help."

"No problem-o. We are the master spies. We are Batman, Spiderman and the Fantastic Four all rolled into one. We have Ax, the computer hacker, Tobias the laser-eyes and me: Marco the amazing shape-shifter!" 

We laughed. I was amazed at how much we felt like a group, even with Lauren there. We'd have to find out more about her. Which brought my thoughts about her morphing again. She couldn't morph. But could she be trusted?

Chapter 50- Estreen

I sighed in exasperation. The mother had finally left to go shopping. The boy was gone. Tom was gone. Which would let me do a bit of research.

I dialed Chapman's number and waited. One ring. Two rings. Th-

"Hello?"

"Is this Chapman?" I asked.

"Yes." His voice sharpened. "Who is this?"

"Genia." I added a laugh to it.

"Oh. Hello…" 

"I need some information on a girl named Lauren *****" 

"Why?"

"Just do it." I said, annoyed. It had taken forever for the mother to leave, and now I needed to use my time wisely.

"What information?"

"Where she lives."

"Give me a second." 

There was a four-minute pause where I tapped my foot impatiently, eyes shifting colors and I focused, unfocused on things. I focused hard and the colors stopped.

Chapman returned. Gave me the address. I wrote it down, and scribbled a note saying I'd gone to get some things for myself at a small store, and that I'd be home soon.

Mothers fall for it all the time. 

I grabbed my jacket and walked down the street. I was lost, basically. I didn't know this place at all, even though I had been here for almost a week. I paused, then headed down the sidewalk to my left, turned right, went straight-

And ended up even more lost. But I _did_ find it. Somehow. 

I knocked on the door. No one answered. 

I headed around the house to looking in windows. I didn't see anyone. I returned to the door and knocked louder.

No answer. I stood a minute, waiting, but nothing. 

I head to the back of the house, and became a small human bird. A sparrow I believe it was. Unlike the Andalites who had to touch animals to acquire them, I merely had to see them, and viola! I became the animal. 

The bird did not have any special qualities. No teeth or claws, except for my little bird feet, and they couldn't exactly be used for anything except perching. My only defense was flying away. 

The bird's sight was not exceptionally great, and I conquered the mind immediately.

Then I flew up. I circled the house looking for an open window. 

More luck! The window to a room was wide open! I dived in, landed on the ground, and became human again. 

I must've been in Lauren's room, unless she had siblings. Which I doubted.

I saw a small bed, four shelves, one entirely for books, another had drawing materials, one had pictures, and the last had various objects. There was one poster for some band, but someone had drawn 'Devil' eyes, horns, moustaches and grins on the people with bright colors. The one in the middle sported red, the one on his left had blue, his right had yellow, and the one on the far left had purple. I grinned in spite of myself.

There was nothing else in the room really, except a closet, bathroom and mirror. Not exactly high living.

I felt a growl in my throat, despite me being human. These humans, whoever they were, were not treating my sister well. I had passed the parents bedroom and it seemed almost like it was from a different house. It was despicable. I felt my hatred towards these people grow. 

For once, I almost liked the Yeerks.

Chapter 51- Marco

Spy work. As usual. 

Spying isn't that hard if you can, say, turn into animals. But spying on humans is a lot easier than spying on brain-stealing aliens that are bent on human world domination, or however you'd put it. 

So what we did was: spy. Duh. 

Tobias and Ax and I watched known-Controllers of any position that we knew. Some were cops, some were judges, and some were just kids like Tom. And there was our Assistant Principal. Champman.

This evening was Let's-All-Spy-On-Champman night. Tobias watched his windows, Ax helped him incase Champman did anything Yeerkish that was dangerous for us, like, say, pulling out a Dracon Beam and going crazy, so he could tell us what was going on if we didn't understand and could scream like ninnies.

We were in seagull morph. People ignore seagulls, and the Yeerks knew we had a red-tailed hawk morph, or at least one of us did. 

Me, I watched people around him. His neighbors, I mean. I had to make sure none of them went crazy with Dracon beams.

Wow, he's really breaking a sweat here.

Huh? I asked.

He just received a phone call. I can kind of read lips, so I know when he's saying hello and all, but nothing else really. I just know that because that's all he ever says. Hello. Hel-

Does this have a point? I interrupted.

Well, he's all nervous. Like, pee-my-pants nervous. Lik-

You need a life.

All through this, Ax watched Champman for Yeerkish activity.

He's leaving the window! He reported.

Tobias and Ax swooped down and checked the other windows for him.

Got him! He's looking for something.

For two minutes he stayed over there, then returned to the phone.

He's hanging up now.

Wonder what that was about.

Yeah. Too bad we can't hear well.

I just noticed a bag of chips. OOOoh chips! 

What kind?

Doritos! I think there's still some left!

I ate them earlier.

Speaking of earlier, we need to demorph. This is pointless. We should check out somewhere else.

Yeah, Tobias agreed. We flew off to the Dumpster where we had morphed. I landed on the ground, demorphed, and stood behind it. The glamour of being dead. 

Tobias and Ax followed me, and soon we were a bird, a boy and some weird alien. Just your average every-day superheroes. No need to panic.

"Ew! That's one big rat!" I cried. It was like mutant-rat. Like, Godzilla vs. The Rat. I crawled from behind the Dumpster and joined Ax and Tobias. "Yuck."

Tobias laughed. Ax, being Ax, lost all the humor of the subject. Not that there was any humor. 

"Who's next on our list of spying?" I asked.

A police officer. Ax said. Jared Rawlings.

Wasn't Rawlings an author? Tobias wondered. 

"Alright. Here come the seagull patrol."

We need to go to the law enforcement center.

"To the Police Station Robin!" 

And then we morphed.


	9. A New Player (Chapters 52-60)

Chapter 52- Visser One

"Have you been watching her actions carefully?" He questioned the human-Controller.

"Yes, Visser. Very carefully. The only unusual activity she seems to have engaged in is…"

"Is what?" He demanded, eyes narrowing dangerously. He began to demorph.

"She seems to be a bit...ah, how to put it-_obsessed_ with some human girl." Fannaer explained, twitching nervously as he saw the Visser's tail emerge from the mass of shifting flesh.

Who? He asked, his guards moving back a little, just out of reach of his deadly tail. 

"Ch-, I mean, Iniss-Two-Two-Six reported that she called asking for information on one 'Lauren ******'."

What did she want to know? He inquired. 

"Where she lived."

I see. Well. Continue your investigation. If she does anything else that involves this girl, capture the human. Make her one of us. But don't let her know we are on to her. If she becomes suspicious, her loyalties may…wander.

"Yes, Visser."

Leave me. He commanded, and Fannaer backed away, and left. We have a situation we must deal with. The Visser told his guards. I want extra security around the pool area. 

One of the guards walked off to explain the Visser's orders, while the other stood nearby the Visser.

We must be prepared. The Visser murmured to himself. Yes, prepared…

Chapter 53- Tobias

We flew on, spying two hours per Controller. We watched pool entrances, and heard smudges of conversations as we went. We learned for some reason, security was being raised, that there were twice as many Hork-Bajir warriors guarding the Pool, the piers, the involuntary Controllers, and that they were even starting to guard the entrances more. It was hard enough, one Controller complained, to get into the pool through a secret entrance, but now they had metal detectors at the bottom of the stairways.

Not a pleasant thought. Now there was Gleet-BioFilters at the doors, hunter robots, metal detectors, and twice the Hork-Bajir. Wonderful. 

But we heard nothing else useful. The Yeerks were being careful, especially since the security of the pool had been raised. So we had less and less time to figure out a plan. We had no useful information to plan from, and Jake could practically feel the gears in Estreen's head turning. She had the upper plan. So we decided to do something dumb, reckless, and completely last-resort.

We were going to "negotiate" with the Yeerks.

Chapter 54- Ax

We met in my scoop. We were going to try and contact the Yeerks, and we could not use Prince Jake's or Cassie's computer. Besides, with mine, I had more 'features' than my human companions.

Erek, the Android was also with us, because none of us knew the Yeerks' 'E-mail'.

"Alright, Ax? Get online and get it ready to send an e-mail. Make sure the Yeerks won't be able to trace it back to you."

Yes, Prince Jake. I told him. Prince Jake went on.

"OK. Erek, what's the address? And how soon do you think we'll be replied?"

"Well, you could write "Andalite Bandits" in the subject line and that would probably speed it up." He said after he gave me the address, which I quickly entered into the "to" box. Then I typed "Andalite Bandits" in the subject box, and signed "From the Andalite Bandits" at the bottom of the message.

"OK, Ax? Make a message. Tobias, help him make it sound convincing."

Tobias fluttered over and landed on top of my computer. He told me what to type, and after I finished, I read the letter aloud.

Prince Jake nodded. "Great. But don't use human words. Change the mall name to something…like, 'the big human structure where humans go to by artificial clothing and other products they assume necessary', or something."

I made the changes to the letter and read it aloud again.

"Excellent. The Yeerks will meet us at 4 o'clock on Saturday at the mall. Be ready for tomorrow, fellow Animorphs. We've got a date with a freak." Marco rubbed his hands together. "What should we do to kill time? Hack into the FBI files? Search for alien life?"

"We already know aliens exist. Why do we need more proof?"

Marco seemed lost for a comeback as they call it, and shrugged sheepishly. "Just a suggestion."

Rachel rolled her eyes, and Erek said good-bye. We talked for a while longer, and then Prince Jake, Rachel, and Cassie left. Marco and Tobias stayed and we watched a movie on the television about some human secret service in 'Great Britain' where a man seemed to be bent on 'world domination' and was trying to wipe out some valley. I lost track immediately of the plot, and even "These Messages" didn't cheer me up.

Marco must've noticed I was lost to the plot, and nudged Tobias gently. "Ax doesn't understand the plot."

What? This is like, the best James Bond movie. With Rodger Moore as James. Not to mention Mayday. And isn't that the guy from Batman Returns?

I do not understand. Who are 'May Day' and 'James Bond'? I questioned.

"He's a spy from Her Majesty's Secret Service. You know, in England? Anyway, this guy wants to blow up this valley so he can control the distribution of electronics." He noticed my blank look. "Never mind. You better stick to the soaps."

Chapter 55- Estreen

"Quickly," Fannaer snapped at me. "Emergency meeting at The Sharing."

"Why?" I glared. I didn't like some lowly Yeerk ordering me around, no matter who I was employed to, or what it would mean later. 

"Shut up, they're sending some one to pick us up. He'll explain on the way."

We slipped out of the house with our coats, and headed towards a black car that was parked on the street. We climbed in, and the man-Yeerk-sped towards The Sharing. 

"Why are we going off to a meeting?" I demanded again.

"Something important…" Muttered the guy in the front seat, but he promptly shut up when Tom gave him a look.

I narrowed my eyes, but said nothing. The st-

"We're here. Get out, I have to park the car."

I got out and slammed the door hard enough to make it shake and explode in the silence. Tom gave me a nasty 'what are you, nuts?' look. I glared back, and went into The Sharing building.

Tom raced after me, and led me to a lit room. I walked in, and grabbed a seat closest to the door. Tom sat down next to me. 

Visser One sat at the head of the table, in human morph. Ten other Controllers, besides the Visser and Tom were already seated at the table made for fifteen. Just then, our 'chauffeur' walked in with some other Yeerk. Plus the Visser's guards, there were seventeen, maybe eighteen people in the room. 

"Everyone here?" The Visser asked. 

A man next to him nodded. 

"Good. This evening, at precisely 7 o'clock human time, we received an e-mail. And not just any e-mail. It was about the Andalite Bandits."

Everyone but me straightened up immediately. They wanted to know who, what was now known about the Andalite guerilla warriors.

"It was from the Andalite Bandits themselves. They request that Estreen, my employee meet them at the mall at 4:00 P.M. tomorrow, and plan a battle area and make rules of engagement."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 

"They require that only one human Controller meets with her-_if_ she decides she wants one. Two of the Andalite Bandits will meet her at the food court, and from there they decide the rules."

"With all the other Andalite scum in morph around her." One Controller near me muttered under his breath. I smiled. At least the Visser had one or two smart minions. 

"As Estreen requested, and I promised- the next time she attacks the Andalite Bandits, she can do it the way she wants. But I think it would be in her best interest to bring one of my trusted lieutenants with her."

"No." I said.

"No?" I could see the Visser trying to regain his composure.

"If the Andalite Bandits learn that you sent a high-ranking Controller with me, they will certainly mark it down on their list. It would be much safer to send some low-ranking Controller, or one they know."

"That is wise. Yes, you may take one of my lower-ranking soldiers. He will arrive at the mall entrance at 3:30 P.M. and contact you there."

I nodded. Just as I suspected.

Chapter 56-Cassie

I watched the computer screen. Erek was beside me, along with Ax. We were checking for a reply to our e-mail. Erek was also giving us a bit of an update. 

"One of our people has notified me, and said the Yeerks received your message yesterday. Estreen was there. She's taking a low-ranking Controller with her, and will meet you. But we'd better check to see what they said in reply."

I nodded. Ax clicked the 'mail' icon, and brought the reply up on the screen. I smiled. Ax had built his computer out of a bunch of junk. It was amazing.

We have one message. Would you like me to read it aloud?

"Yeah," I told him. 

We have received your message, Bandits. Estreen will meet you with one of our people. You will be watched closely-

Suddenly, a noise.

"What was that?" I asked, semi-alarmed.

We have received another message. Shall I continue, then check?

"Yes," I said, fear fading away, but keeping my guard up. Erek stood, silent by my side.

You will be watched closely, and if you try to attempt a ruse, you shall be eliminated.

"That's a pleasant thought."

Establish your rules of engagement, then leave the establishment.

"That's it?" I asked.

Yes. 

"Boy, that didn't sound very…Visser-ish I guess would be the word. He doesn't seem to try and trick us, he's all open. Weird."

Ax turned a stalk eye to face me. Prince Jake was correct then.

I nodded. "What about the other message?"

Ax's nimble fingers flew over the keyboard. It is- He looked surprised. It is from Estreen.

"Read it!" I snapped, surprised at myself.

Andalite Bandits. The Visser is a fool. There is something odd of your methods, but I will agree. Do not expect a guard; they are almost as stupid as their leader and easily tricked and lost. I will gladly meet you in combat. Signed, Estran.

"Estran?"

Ax shrugged. That's what it says.

"She seems to have contempt for the Yeerks. We may be able to use that against her."

Exactly. Shall we report?

"Yeah. Let's go tell the others; it's almost one."

Erek nodded. "I will return home, and contact you if we receive information." 

"OK, Erek."

"Good luck, Cassie, and Aximili."

Chapter 57- Lauren

I stood in front of my mirror. Something was different in my room. I didn't see anything out of order, but something… I could feel it.

My mind drifted to the Animorphs. They were friendly, I guess. Most likely because they didn't know who I was. But that was alright. They acted like friends, and that was enough. I suppose.

I saw each one in my mind, and then I thought about the morphing. The pain still struck me. I didn't know what to do. I lowered my eyes, and spotted my hand.

And jumped about four feet off the ground. I nearly screamed.

My hand was changing color! I was growing feathers, shrinking down down down…

My eyes saw my nose and lips bulge out into a wicked beak, the feathers were becoming 3-D, and my legs were becoming 'scaly' and yellow-ish, my feet becoming wicked talons. My arms and hands became wings. 

My eyes changed colors to a fierce brown, and I could see the cracks in the wood of my floor! I could see tiny dents and scratches in it! Dust in the corner.

I was a bird! And I felt no pain!

"Hah!" I cried triumphantly. It sounded more like "TTTSSSEEERRRR". 

I fluttered up onto the desk, feeling the hawk mind in me. It wanted prey. I shook my head, and gained control. I looked in the mirror.

I was…what was his name? I was To—To—Tobias! That was it; Tobias. But I hadn't acquired him. 

Lauren? A voice in my head! Familiar. One of the Animorphs!

Lauren. It said again. I know you can't answer me, but we're coming. Open your window! It's Cassie and Ax.

But how did they know where I lived? It didn't matter, I told myself. How to open the window?

I recalled what Cassie had said when I was a wolf. _Picture yourself as human. Focus._ I squeezed my eyes shut, and focused hard. 

I sprouted up! I was demorphing at warp-speed. Or at least, I was becoming human faster than I had become a hawk.

"Coming!" I said after a few seconds, even though they couldn't hear me. I ran to the window and opened it. Two hawks flew in. One had grayish-white feathers, and the other had…Well, gray-brown feathers. They demorphed immediately, the gray-white one become Cassie while the other became an Andalite. Ax immediately crouched down out of sight of the window, and I drew my flimsy curtains shut.

"Even though you can't morph, Jake wants you to trust us," Cassie began. "Look, we're meeting that Estreen at the mall today, alright? Just some of us. Tobias will be in Taylor morph, and Ax will be in human morph, and Jake will be a fly buzzing around with Rachel in fly morph too."

"Look, Cassie, Ax, I-"

"Would you like to try morphing again, Lauren?" Cassie interrupted. 

I considered. I had felt no pain when I was a hawk.

"O.K." I said, and concentrated.

"Wait a second." Cassie said, eyes narrowing. "Last time, you morphed with clothing, and it became part of your morph. And then when you demorphed you had the same clothing."

"Is there a problem with that?" I asked, confused. 

"Yes. We can't morph anything but skin-tight clothing, and it takes practice."

"Well-I-I…" I stuttered.

Cassie shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's better anyway. It'd be a hassle having you in the group without a morphing suit and the guys around."

I nodded in agreement, then focused. 

The changes were immediate! A tail popped out. I grew fur. My ears moved! My face bulged out into a muzzle, my teeth became wolf teeth. Eyes changed to cat-yellow, knees reversed direction. I shrank and grew more powerful as I did. I was a wolf! Lord of the forest! I raised my nose to howl, but Cassie grabbed my muzzle and held it shut tightly. 

I quickly gained control after that. Sorry about that.

You are not experiencing any pain? Ax asked me. 

No. I replied. I'm…I'm okay. Nothing hurts. I swished my tail, walked back and forth, testing.

This is an unexpected development. What shall we tell Prince Jake? He asked Cassie.

"We need to get her a bird morph. Uhh… Go get-"

No! Wait! I already have one!

"WHAT?!" Cassie exclaimed. "How did you do that?!"

I…Just watch!

I demorphed, then pictured Tobias in my head. Deadly talons, a ripping beak, red-and-brown feathers. Fierce eyes. 

And I felt the changes begin.

Chapter 57- Rachel

"What do you mean she can morph?" I asked. We were at my house, since Jordan and Sarah and my mother were at the mall. The others were all there, Ax and Tobias in human morph, with Lauren.

"I can. I don't know how. I just did."

"That doesn't explain it. Look, we've got a mission coming up. I don't want to sound nasty, or like a jerk, but Lauren, you don't have experience." Jake held up a hand to stop her from speaking. "We don't know what the Yeerks are up too, and we need you to stay here. But first we need to get this explained. So you morphed Tobias? When did you acquire him?"

"I didn't." She said calmly. "I was just thinking about him in my room, and all the sudden I was morphing him! And that's when Cassie and Ax got there."

"You can't morph someone or something without acquiring him!" I shouted. "It's impossible, isn't it, Ax?"

"It is certainly improbable. Prob. Able. It is unheard of. It sounds like-"

"Like that Estreen thing!" Marco exclaimed. "She morphed without acquiring, didn't she? Or… Well, we don't have proof of that. But she DID morph clothing."

Marco and I narrowed our eyes and looked at Lauren. It's funny how we agree on most points.

"Look! I don't know, alright! I'm in the dark as much as you are! I don't even know what's real anymore, ok? I've been 'Lauren the orphan bully' all my life as long as I can remember, living in a dump of a home with Foster Mom and Foster Dad avoiding me all my life as well! I! DON'T! KNOW! I'm either part of the team, trusted, or I'm not! But I don't know! I don't know, alright?" Her voice was quaking, and she was shaking. She sat down on the floor, holding herself. 

Cassie kneeled down by her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "We know what it's like. We didn't believe it either. Not until later. We know you can't possibly know who to trust anymore. But you have to deal. We believe you about not knowing. We need you."

Lauren nodded. She seemed instantly calm, maybe embarrassed. She wiped her eyes, and leaned against the wall, still on the floor.

"Look, Lauren. If you don't know; you don't know. But you're still staying here. This is important. We'll all be back in two hours at most. Or, at least, one hour and fifty-nine minutes." 

She nodded, cool and collected now. I glanced at Marco. He was calculating it all in his mind, Cassie was thinking of motives, egos, everything. And Ax was just being Ax with a human mouth. Tobias was silent.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? We can leave somebody to pass the time, help you with morphing."

She shook her head. "That's alright. You say this mission is important, and you need all the help you can get, well, go. I'd be useless on this mission; all the morphs I have are Tobias and a wolf. Not exactly spy material, you know?"

I nodded. "Alright. You'll have to leave here though, mom and my sisters will be home in an hour, maybe a half hour."

"O.K."

We left, one by one through the window. Tobias and Ax demorphed, and Ax went first, then Tobias, Jake, Marco, then me, and finally Cassie. 

Chapter 58- Estreen

The Controller I was stuck with was an imbecile. I killed him in an alleyway near the mall, and entered the building after shifting my features. The human-Controllers wouldn't know me until I was in place. And by then it would be too late.

I entered the food court and drifted around, looking for a group of six, when I spotted two humans that looked out of place. I slid up beside them, my human form shifting again to what they would know me by. 

"You're late," Said one. He was a bit uncomfortable, looking almost trapped or lost. The other looked like he was going to kill the other if he didn't get some more food. I saw the crumpled remains of a cinnamon bun wrapper by him, and frosting covered his face. 

"I was delayed. The human they sent with me was…slow." 

He nodded. He made no expression with his face, no flicker of recognition in his eyes. Nothing. Not at all like the other. 

"May we begin?" I asked. 

There was a long pause, while the Andalite thought.

"Yes. First terms: Where ever we fight, no Controllers. No security cameras. Nothing. Just you and us."

"Agreed. I can arrange that easily. My first terms are: Well, I have no qualms with you. Don't make it easy."

Another pause. "Second terms; no more than three shifts."

"Not agreed. You morph as many times as you want, as will I. I will only make…ten shifts. Yes, that's challenging."

Pause. "Fine. We will give you directions on how to get to our battle station."

"Very well. Anything else, Mighty Andalite?" I smirked.

The Andalite in human morph looked around, and shushed me. "We're being watched." He told me, and nodded to two 'ladies' with shopping bags talking nearby. 

I nodded in agreement. "Right. Send directions, or anything else to this address, not the other." I handed him a slip of paper. "That's my terms."

Pause. "Excellent. See you at the field." He told me.

"May the battles begin." I told him, as I began to walk off. Then I realized- the pauses- his superiors- if he had any- we're probably there in morph! They could be humans around us, flies, bugs, anything and not be noticed. 

I smiled. The 'Bandits' were smarter than I thought. But how smart? We would see.

Chapter 59- Jake

We met back at the barn. Tobias and Ax demorphed on the roof of the mall, while we demorphed in the bathrooms and grabbed our outer clothing. We walked out, and met outside, Ax and Tobias in the sky above.

Cassie called Lauren over, and she arrived as a copy of Tobias. A Red-Tail Hawk. It was discerning watching a hawk turn into a human girl that had clothing on, not a skin-tight outfit like we had. 

"She should teach us how to do that," Marco said. "It'll be freezing in the winter. We've already experienced technical difficulties, you know?"

I nodded, distracted. Lauren quickly emerged from the hawk form, quicker than we usually morphed. 

"Hope I'm not late," She said when lips formed. "Got hung up."

"Yeah."

"So, how did the mission go?" She asked casually.

"It was fine." I said carefully. "We got her to agree to most of our terms. We need to get our battle position ready. And she gave us a new e-mail address to send things to." 

"Doesn't want the Yeerks interfering?" Lauren wondered. "I thought she was, like, evil or something."

She is, but she isn't. Tobias told her. She does her job to get stuff that she wants. She doesn't care what side she's on. The Yeerks have no interest in her as a host because they can't capture her. The Andalites can destroy her either. Everyone acknowledges she isn't on the Yeerks side or anyone else's. She's her own army, in a way.

Lauren nodded slowly.

"Anyway, we need to send her our "battlefield" map. We didn't give her directions or anything earlier in case of Yeerks."

"Where is it?"

"We aren't telling you. That's because if by the time it comes to fight her and you aren't experienced enough you can't sneak along. For extra measures we'll all be going a different way." I explained. "On the other hand, if you _do_ seem ready to fight, we'll take you. But you'll need better morphs if you're going to even be partially ready."

I was still wondering how she could morph Tobias and not acquire him and morph normal clothing too. But we didn't have time for questions, did we? But still, it remained persistent in my mind. Why, why, why?

Lauren sighed. "All right. But when do I get a good morph, like a lion or a tiger or a python or something, other than a wolf? With all due respect, a wolf isn't going to be able to do much damage to a huge, shape-shifting freak, is it?"

Rachel half-smiled, and Marco nodded. "You're right. Cassie, take her to the Gardens. But first, do we have any bugs that we can use? Flies, cockroach-" 

"I have to touch a cockroach or a fly?!" Lauren interrupted. 

"We all have." I told her. "It's not so bad…"

"Wait 'til you morph it," Marco grinned.

"Anyway, after you get an insect morph, you can get a better battle morph. Maybe a seagull, too."

"No problem. Tobias can help with the seagull."

Exactly. Tobias said. Seagulls are like, moving in slow motion.

I smiled. "Great. Marco, Ax? Send Estreen the instructions, and give her a date. Maybe a week or two from now so Lauren has time to practice?" They nodded, and started to morph to fly to Ax's scoop. "Good. Rachel, you and I will help Cassie get a bug. I know just the spot for bugs. In the meantime, Cassie, get her a battle morph. Tobias, go with them so they can get a seagull on the way there or back. Let's go."

Chapter 60- Tobias

Cassie morphed Osprey, and Lauren morphed me. It was weird, watching somebody become me. Maybe not me, but an exact copy of my body. It was unnerving.

When they were done, we flew. Through the afternoon to the Gardens, amusement park-slash-zoo. 

We decided to catch a seagull on the way back, because then we wouldn't have to make two pit stops right away.

The Gardens was open for a few more hours, and Cassie and Lauren spiraled overhead. 

Should we wait until they're closed? Cassie wondered.

OK. It'll probably be easier to sneak into. I answered. Let's get that seagull instead.

I spotted one immediately that was over a grove of trees in the park, eyeballing some kid with an ice cream cone. 

Try not to hurt it! Cassie called out to me as I dived at it.

That's all? Puh-leeze. You might as well be telling me how to fly!

I outstretched my talons, and grabbed the gull. I fluttered over to the grove of trees and made sure no one was there, and called up, [It's safe,] and waited.

Cassie appeared first, then Lauren. The landed on the ground and demorphed. Lauren stared at the bird, and I landed in Cassie's arms. Lauren walked over, and stared at the bird some more. 

"A seagull. It looks like a big, snowy pigeon." She stated as she petted it. The seagull calmed as she acquired it, and then I released it and it flew off, squawking loudly.

Seagulls are pathetic birds, but they blend in. I told her.

"Yeah. I mean, look at all the seagulls around here. Or anywhere. They're everywhere."

"Exactly. Want to morph it?"

"O.K." She said, and I flew out of Cassie's arms into a tree to keep watch. 

Lauren's first change was her color. She turned white, as if she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes became tiny, black, beady little things, and her hair disappeared into her head.

That's weird looking. Kinda pretty, but very weird.

A tail sprouted out, even though she had no feathers anywhere else. Her feet became talons, her toes joining together to make only three wicked 'nails'. (The only things she didn't seem to be able to morph were shoes). The rest of her, though, was a normal human girl. A girl with beady eyes, a tail full of feathers, T-Rex feet, and the rest of her, even her clothes, were white. Blank, paper-white. Or snow white.

Feathers appeared and popped out, becoming 3-D. Her hands melted into one big "hand" and then formed wings. Her face bulged into a beak, and her eyes moved a little. 

She was a five-foot-something seagull.

Finally, she shrank. Down to a short kid seagull. A dog. Cat. And finally, normal seagull size.

There was silence for a minute. [Woah! Are those Lays? Or Doritos? Hey! Ice cream!]

Cassie smiled. "Seagulls are scavengers. They eat garbage."

I noticed. Hey! Those _are_ Lays! I hope they aren't the BBQ kind. I hate them. Are they regular?

She bird-walked and fluttered over to the bag of Lays. Darn. They're BBQ. 

Think you can handle the brain?

[Oh yeah, sure. Hey, popcorn! 

Cassie stifled a laugh, and said, "You can demorph now. The park closes in two hours. We've got plenty of time to kill."

Lauren demorphed immediately. "Let's look at the exhibits! I never get to come here!"

I blinked. Even I had been to The Gardens once or twice. I shook myself mentally, then answered, We probably could check them out. Then you can decide what you want your battle morph to be.

Cassie nodded. "Let's go. The "Big Cats'" exhibits are closest."

"Alrighty then." 


	10. A New Player (Chapters 61-70)

Chapter 61- Marco

Ax and I morphed our bird morphs, and flew to his scoop. I landed first and demorphed, and turned the computer on. Ax was behind me, and I moved over as he placed his fingers on the keyboard. He moved fourteen fingers quickly and soon we were on the e-mail section, and he typed in the address and we decided on a date. 

Two weeks from now, we would meet in the mountains. Close to where we had set my mo-where we had set up Visser One and Visser Three. We had failed, but we had almost tricked them. 

We made the e-mail sound convincing. I made it arrogant, and Ax made it technical, with all those weird words he uses. Like a math teacher meets an engineer that has hobbies in nuclear physics. Stuff like that.

Then to kill time, we played Minesweeper. I lost to Ax…Somehow four extra fingers give him an advantage to it. I blinked as he moved, click-click-click-click. Congratulations, you won. Blink.

"Let's watch some television."

We turned on the tube and watched some rerun of an old '60's show. We kept the volume low so we could here the e-mail alert noise. 

It took about an hour, and by that time we were Charlie's Angels out. But we got a reply. It was brief, like the last had been.

Dear Bandits, 

How nice to hear from you. Interesting directions. I shall meet you there. 

May the best warrior win, aye?

Signed,

Estreen

It was in a weird curly font, a bit like Comic Sans MS meets Curlz MT. Weird.

Shall we report? Ax asked, turning a stalk eye towards me.

"Nah. We'll wait awhile. They're probably busy. Let's see if we can figure out where this address comes from, anyway, eh?"

Excellent.

"Make sure she can't trace it." I told him. He turned a stalk eye to look at me. It blinked like I had offended him. "Hey, just want you to be careful, right?"

The stalk eye turned. 

Chapter 62- Lauren

"This will be your standard battle morph. To use it to fight well, you need to know everything available your morph has to use as a weapon. You can also use your surroundings. With the help of Tobias and Ax and Rachel, you will see what it's like to battle three Hork-Bajir. Remember, don't kill them." 

I nodded, and morphed my battle morph. I had already tried it earlier to learn what the mind would be like, so I was ready when it reared up. The mind of a killer. Cool, calm, collected.

I was invincible! I was a leopard. I had speed, grace, and agility. I had steel claws and needle teeth. I could hear and smell anything before it tried to attack. I would leap at my prey-a tapir or another mammal, maybe even a snake- and strike! I saw Jake standing there, and considered. There was no other predator around to claim him. I could swipe my paw with claws outstretched and-

__

NO! I shook myself free of the mind. I'm in control. What do I do now?

"Go find the others and fight them. Remember, don't kill them."

Ok. I moved forward, moving with the liquid grace of a big cat. I was fast, and my eyes swept over the woods. My fur blended in perfectly with the foliage, and I kept my ears perked for movement or noises unnatural to the forest, and my nose tuned to the scents, to see if I could smell something weird. Not that I knew what "weird" was. 

Suddenly…A noise! Harsh breathing, and soft footsteps. I grinned to myself. This might easier than I'd thought.

I walked towards the noise, and my padded feet kept me from making a sound. I spotted the monster. He was maybe thirty yards away. I crouched lower, and moved forward, making hardly a sound. The Hork-Bajir, whether it was Rachel or Ax or Tobias, turned. I leapt!

I landed on the bladed beast, and we ended up in a tangle of blades and claws. I tore at his-or her-stomach, biting his/her arm. 

With a mighty kick the Hork-Bajir dislodged me. He bounced from the ground onto me, and pinned me down with a blade at my throat.

"You lose." he/she said in a rough guttural voice. 

Never! I wiggled, trying to free myself, but I was stuck. 

I kicked at the Hork-Bajir, swiped with a paw, but I was careful not to move my head into the blade. I reached up a paw and shoved the arm and the blade away. Instantly I was up, and I leapt into a tree. Leopards could climb trees, right?  
I ended up in a tree branch, with the Hork-Bajir looking for me. I waited…waited…

He walked under my branch, looking around yet, when I felt two blades at my throat. "Hork-Bajir can climb trees too." 

The Hork-Bajir looked up, and grinned. "Good try, though. You might've lost one Hork-Bajir with that move, but not two. Definitely some human-Controllers or Taxxons."

The Hork-Bajir on the ground demorphed, and from it emerged Tobias. The other Hork-Bajir leapt from the tree onto the ground, and demorphed. Rachel appeared in its place. Finally, a third Hork-Bajir came forth, and Ax took its place. Well done, Lauren. Though you need practice, that was done well for the first time.

Thanks. I said, dropping from the branch and demorphing. I think.

Chapter 63- Ax

The human Lauren had not achieved her goal- "killing" all three of us. But she had come close to getting Tobias. Maybe if Rachel had not appeared. But that was fine too, they said. She was still learning.

Lauren had adjusted better than David. Then again, David had lost his family to the Yeerks, his home, his life. Under those circumstances I think anyone-Andalite or human-would "snap" as my human friends called it.

Lauren practiced some more, this time she was timed in racing around, doing different things, practicing escaping, running, attacking. She went home tired. I didn't blame her. 

Marco, Tobias and I returned to my scoop to watch TV. A movie was on, about some aliens invading and attacking humans. It was very strange. The aliens looked nothing at all like anything I had ever seen, and their ships looked like a species called the _Fe'lackax_. It bored me, though Tobias and Marco enjoyed it.

I turned a stalk eye to the computer. It was still on, and online. I checked it. One message.

I clicked and checked on it. It was from Estreen.

__

Dear Bandits,

I have noticed you attempted to "hack" me. Please stop your futile attempts. Although I must admit, it was a most interesting approach. But, while it might "hack" into a Yeerk or human computer file, it will not do me justice. You forget I have technology from almost every species in the galaxy, Yeerks, Andalite, Skrit Na (even though most of their _technology is stolen), and many others. I will see you at the field in two weeks. _

Sincerely

****

Estreen

Interesting. I said aloud.

"What, Ax-man?" Marco asked. 

I have received another message from Estreen. Apparently, she noticed us attempting to hack her.

"Oh?"

She explains that our attempts are futile, and asks us not to try again.

Marco raised an eyebrow. "I won't say it."

Good.

Marco burst out laughing, though Tobias said, Hey, I'm trying to watch a movie here!

"Whatever."

Chapter 64- Fannaer Eight-Five-One/Tom

~**_Stupid Yeerks. You're working against your own employee. _**Tom jeered in my head.** _How can such an unorganized group of slugs have come this far?~_**  
Shut up, human. I answered, not in the mood to argue. 

I sneaked into Estreen's/Genia's room and looked around. Opened the drawers and found nothing, just some clothes. Opened the closet. Nothing. NOTHING! I sank to my knees and looked under the bed. A suitcase! I pulled it out, and unzipped the sides. I looked in. 

Inside where some documents, legal jargon from the Visser hiring her, and-

A disk. A tiny, small disk. Not much smaller than a human computer disk, but larger than a Yeerk computer disk. I grinned. But then frowned. I couldn't check it anywhere without going into Jake's room. But he was gone…

I slipped the suitcase back under the bed zipped up incase I couldn't get back to it in time, and crept to Jake's room. I closed the door silently, and saw the computer on screen saver. I put the disk in, and suddenly a bunch of windows opened. Would you like to open? It asked. I clicked "Yes". On the screen appeared what were basically alien "newspaper" clippings. They were in an alien language, with no pictures. I searched for some sort of help, but there was nothing. I tried to decipher the language, but couldn't. Angrily I closed the program, and took the disk out. 

I slipped out of the room, into the hallway, and back into Estreen's room. I crouched, pulled the suitcase out, and put the disk back in under the documents. Zipped it up and put it back under. Made sure everything was back in its original order, and left. Then I went into my host's room. 

I had learned nothing. The Visser would not be pleased. I would leave the disk out; if I told him about that, he'd be in a raging fit because I hadn't brought it with me. 

Through the whole procedure I had tuned out Tom's mockeries and comments. But now, with nothing to focus on, his "voice" returned to me, in mid-sentence. **_–can't be long now, Yeerk. ~Sooner or later the Visser will kill you. And then I'll be free.~_**

Until the next Yeerk, stupid human. And if he does it out of anger, most likely he will kill you in the process.

~**Better dead than a Controller.~**

Chapter 65- Cassie

Lauren practiced after school and on the weekends constantly. She got better. She "killed" two of the three Hork-Bajir, which was a great achievement for someone who'd never been in a real fight. Depending on your point of view, that is. 

But the time to fight was growing nearing. There was one day left. Today was Friday- no school because of some teacher thing. You know how it is: every month you basically have one day off because of teacher meetings, or whatever it is they do those days. I wouldn't know. Anyway, Saturday, we would fight her. 

Oh goody.

Meanwhile, I still had chores. Rachel helped me more than usual and I was pleased with that, even though about all she did was hand me pills or new bandages. It's the thought that counts, isn't it?

Eventually Rachel left. I finished feeding the animals and giving them their meds or bandages. I swept the floor quickly, and then flicked off the lights except one that was left on incase of emergency with a patient. 

I walked towards the house through the dusk. Much of the light was gone but small flickers. I sat on the porch to rest a minute to rest. After five or six minutes, I went in. 

Hoping the tan flash I had seen against the last ray of sun wasn't what I thought it was.

Chapter 66- Jake

The sun rose in the sky, blinding me. I blinked a couple times to clear the sleep from my eyes. Wiped my nose, and stood up. 

My clock read 6:00, two hours before when I usually got up on a Saturday. Five if I was feeling tired. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. 

Then I remembered: Today we would fight Estreen again. Lauren had been bugging me a bit, asking if she could go. I was deciding, and I figured we should take a vote. I called Rachel and Cassie, and told them to meet me at the barn. Since Cassie was already there, I asked her to get Marco, Ax, and Tobias. 

I flung my window open, and morphed peregrine falcon. As soon as the changes finished, I spread my wings, hopped onto the window sill, and flew off toward Cassie's. 

**** 

We voted. Rachel and Cassie and Marco for, Tobias and Ax against. I was surprised Ax voted; normally he just followed me. But I wasn't about to object. I was still trying to decide. Rachel and the others argued we needed all the help we could get. The others thought she didn't have enough experience. I agreed with both sides, but which would I choose? I weighed options carefully, trying to think ahead. Finally, I shook my head.

"I don't know. I think we should take her-" Rachel smiled, assuming victory, but I held up a hand to silence her and continued. "-But I also think she might not be experienced enough." I thought hard. What was it that would work? 

"We should take her." Rachel insisted. "She may not be experienced enough, but we need all the help we can get. Besides, when we started out, we weren't very experienced. Practice makes perfect."

I nodded. "Yeah. We probably will. Shall we call her? Or send her air-mail?"

I can get her. Tobias answered. I shook my head yes, and he disappeared from his perch in the rafters.

We conversed about the battle. We needed to leave now if we were to prepare. It was an hour or two to fly, and we wanted to pick a few things up first- like food. 

Lauren and Tobias appeared shortly after we came to a conclusion. It was impossible to tell the birds apart, except Tobias went back up to the ceiling, and Lauren landed on the barn floor and began to demorph.

"Let's do it!" Rachel cried. 

Chapter 67- Lauren

We split up again, and had a quick breakfast. We met up at the barn in a half hour, and got ready. Cassie did some chores around the barn, Jake paced, Marco laid on a bale of hay, and Rachel stood in a corner. Ax was partially hid in a stall in case Cassie's dad sneaked up on us.

"Alright. This is your first mission, Lauren." Jake sighed. "Just do good, OK?" 

Rachel grinned, and Marco laughed. 

I shrugged. "Fine. Can we go now?"

That really got Marco and Cassie and Jake laughing. "Remind you of anyone?" Marco managed to ask between laughing. 

"What'd I say?" I asked. But no one answered.

"Right. It's going to be hard, Lauren. But remember- we're here. We've seen it before. You'll live through it."

"We hope anyway." Marco added. 

I was puzzled again, but shook my head yes. "Right. Can we go now?"

Jake shrugged, and said, "Alright. Let's morph. Remember to stay far enough apart, but not _too_ far."

I began my morph to Tobias. I focused on his laser eyes and rusty feathers. And felt the changes start. 

First I shrank. I was a miniature, bird-sized human. Then I felt an itching, and noticed feathers growing over my skin. My face jutted out into a beak, and my hair sucked up into my skull. As the changes wore on, I looked around. Jake was a five-foot bird, except his feet were still normal. Rachel was almost done but had blond hair yet. Marco's lips were still there and he was smirking at Rachel. Cassie, on the other hand, was done. Ax had a scorpion tail yet, and Tobias waited patiently in the rafters.

I felt the changes stop. I fluttered up next to Tobias. 

But which is which is which? I heard someone ask. Most likely Marco. 

Let's do it!] Rachel cried, as everyone finished. 

Everyone ready? Right then. Starting on the left wing!

But Jake- that's your right wing.

I laughed. Jake flew out first, followed by Ax, then Tobias, Cassie, me, Marco and Rachel. 

We spread out, a hundred yards from each other. Jake "led" us to the place. A valley surrounded by high mountains. It took us twenty minutes to get there, and one by one we spiraled downward and landed under the overhang of some rock. It made a small "cave", and we demorphed inside. Tobias kept watch as Ax demorphed first, then the rest of us. 

Prince Jake, a bird approaches. Ax said at the same time as Tobias said, Jake we've got company; a sparrow.

Jake's mouth just emerged. "Battle morphs!"

I focused on the leopard in me. 

Chapter 68- Estreen

I flew to the determined battle "arena" that the Andalites informed me of. As I drew closer, I noticed a hawk and an Andalite. I landed and transformed to my human form. Grinning, I watched as a bear, a tiger, a gorilla and a wolf emerged. Last came a leopard.

My grin disappeared. My eyes narrowed.

"There are more of you." 

There are not. We have always had this number.

"No! Lies!" I spat. "Before there was a Hork-Bajir, elephant, cheetah, snake, rhino, and a bear. Now there are seven!"

One of us was absent.

"No!"

I "demorphed". To my natural, normal state. The Cha'raek. "Paw" feet, Hork-Bajir head, lava skin. 

I stared at them all. I moved my gaze slowly. My skin tingled from the energy, almost like a shark's. My eyes moved from the bird to the Andalite, the bear, gorilla, tiger, wolf, and leopard. 

"Very well. It does not matter, yet, why there are more of you. I am being paid to fight you, and fight I will.

"I'll take the first move if you don't mind."

Before they could move, I charged. Towards the spotted cat, the leopard. 

The leopard hissed and leapt. I stopped, right where it had been. And blinked. 

I ducked from a blow aimed by the bear. I stepped back. Scanning for the leopard. Where, where, where…

Up! On top of an overhang. If I moved back or to any side I would fall prey to it. 

I stepped forward. The leopard jumped down, missing me by inches. It growled angrily, while I laughed. 

I stopped immediately and narrowed my eyes. Faked a step to my right and kicked. 

Just as I suspected, the cat jumped to the left. I slashed with an arm blade, but missed by millimeters. 

Not so fast after all, aye Estreen? Asked the cat. 

"We shall see who's faster!" I growled. 

I dodged a paw swipe, and had to move back towards the more opened area of the field to avoid the Andalites grouping up and knocking me down. 

The leopard followed me, and headed to the open. We circled each other. I had my back turned when it happened. I didn't notice until it had happened it-

Chapter 69- Marco

A brown-and-tan blur! It raced across the open valley floor, and jumped between Estreen and Lauren. It paused and we could see its shape. It was a cougar! A mountain lion had jumped between a cat not native to North America and a monster not native to this planet.

It growled at Estreen and protected Lauren ferociously. It made swipes in front of her and showed its teeth.

Estreen paused. Should she kill the cat? Or leap over it? Or was this an Andalite trick.

While she paused, the puma sprang on top of her and held her down with amazing strength. 

Estreen moved to kill it, but suddenly stopped mid-swipe. What was going on?

Move in, while she's distracted. Jake decided. We moved into a small ring around them, and I noticed Tobias hopping off and beginning to morph Hork-Bajir.

Lauren backed off. The cat… told her to leave me alone.

The mountain lion got off Estreen and she jumped up, glaring at it. 

There was a moments pause. Then I heard a ruff voice in my head. Let her go, Estreen.

"Never! The Andalite scum must-"

What Andalite scum? You mean him? He has not raised his blade against you since your last fight. And he is the only Andalite I see.

"The others are Andalites in morph, you fool!" She spat. 

You jest.

"YOU are the jester. These are Andalites- and I have been employed to fight them!"

They are humans, fool, HUMANS!

Jake leapt at the cougar. No!

Ax whipped his blade to Estreen's throat. I grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. 

Estreen began to laugh. "This proves it! You _are_ humans."

Jake and Rachel tried to catch the puma, but failed. It bounded back and sat, almost regally, in front of Estreen. 

You humans are almost stupider than Andalites. But I will go back. You shall not harm the girl. 

"The leopard? Why?"  
Behold, she is your-

I grabbed at the cougar. It dodged, and hissed, ears flattening against its skull.

Estreen broke free, and ducked from Ax's blade. She slammed my chest with her fist, and hit me with the flat of her blade. 

And everything grew dark.

Chapter 70- Cassie

Estreen knocked Marco unconscious. She whirled. "Speak, fool!"

The mountain lion sat again. It flicked its tail back and forth, in an almost memorizing pattern. I noticed a nick in his ear. It reminded me of something…

First: I have a name. It is not fool. It is K'laile-

"K'laile, son of Me'ik, daughter of F'dara?" Estreen demanded.

The same. Yes, you know me very well. As should the girl. F'diria.

What are you talking about? My name isn't Federia, or whatever. It's Lauren!

"THE GIRL!" Estreen shouted. She leapt and slid into Lauren, knocking her onto the ground. She twisted her head to the left, and whispered in her ear. Then, so we could all hear, she cried, "Why have you come here? You were dead. Dead! And she cannot be one of them. I will-"

Not kill her. No. Come here. I will explain. He said the last part to us. We drew nearer. Feel free to demorph at any time.

Once I lived on a planet far from here, far from the Yeerk home world or the Hork-Bajir -slash- Arn or even the Andalite worlds. I had a family. A wife and a daughter. 

Shortly later, when my daughter was merely five-by your standards-her mother, my wife, died. I was stricken with grief, and left. I left the child to live, and teach herself.

I took a ship to another planet. It was not hard. A Skrit Na ship landed, and I stowed away on it. They landed on some other planet, and I got off. 

The people on this planet were strange. The most advanced species were two-legged, vulnerable things. Not that there is anything wrong with walking on two legs.

I changed my appearance to look like them. I forgot my cares on another planet, another world. Here, far, far away, I could forget.

I almost forgot who I was. I married, and we had a child. But then I remembered. The pain. I ran away again, but I could not leave this planet. I was stuck.

I became another human. I got a job at a factory. For five years I tried to forget. Then I heard that the Yeerks were here. I feared for my daughter. I returned- but I did not take her. I was afraid she would hate me. That she would not want to leave. So I watched her. Whenever danger threatened her, I helped her. But in doing so I took on a semi-permanent shape. I followed and protected her from the Yeerks and from trouble. She was safe, with me. Though she knew not who and what and where I was.

I named my second daughter F'diria. In our language it means "wind-blown". Or, at least about that. You have no words for the true meaning. I named her this because I felt that she was at the mercy of the wind- it blew her from me to her foster parents and in any direction, she had almost no freedom. 

I did not remember my other daughter much. Every now and then I heard of the Yeerks. I feared for my daughter. That is my story. My daughters stand before you. Both beautiful jewels-hard, and deadly, but so perfect and expensive. 

Nice story. What's that got to do with us?

Do with you? He echoed. I want my daughters back. 


	11. A New Player (Chapters 71-72)

Chapter 71- Rachel

You left me with creeps for parents because you were afraid my mother would die?! And now you think I want to come back?! Lauren all but shrieked. 

"My thoughts exactly," Estreen agreed. I turned, surprised, and saw she had returned to her human form. She stood, arms folded, glaring at the mountain lion. 

I-

There's no excuse! I…I _HATE_ you! Lauren sputtered. 

The lion looked confused. He'd been planning a loving family reunion, and now it had blown up in his face like a pack of dynamite. 

"I was left on a planet, alone for twenty years, and you expect me to be warm and loving?" Estreen spat. "I hate to burst your bubble, but you're a bit late for friendly greetings."

No! You will come with me! He insisted. 

This guy is getting on my nerves, I said, looking at the mountain lion.

I could tell he was getting on Estreen and Lauren's nerves too.

Marco sided with me. He may not be a Yeerk, but he still is an enemy. He knows we're human.

Cassie and Tobias were silent, but Ax agreed. He knew our secret. He couldn't get away with it. Jake voted. We'd attack… But only when Estreen or Lauren attacked first.

"You want me to come with you? Here, take this as a memoir of me!" Estreen said, as she shifted shapes again and kicked the lion. Lauren took this as her cue to attack. 

Alright, go for it! Jake cried. 

Growling, I lunged. I knocked him into Marco, who threw a punch. Lauren bit and dodged the blows from the other animals, until it was a comical cartoon dust ball of punches, biting, slashing and rage.

Rachel! This… I remember now! He's the one that bit me, the one that-

Him? He's been following you? Oh, he is dead.

I must not have been keeping my thoughtspeak that silent, because the fighting paused a minute. Well, only a few seconds, but long enough. But then it was a fighting mass again.

The lion was roaring wildly, angrily. Estreen was shifting too quickly to see. Then the fighting stopped. The lion was dead. Lauren stood, panting. I realized I was too. 

Silence settled. There was nothing to say but "What now?". 

Estreen asked it. 

"What now, Andalites? What now, Sister?" The tone seemed sarcastic, but questioning too. More like she was asking herself than us.

Lauren shrugged her leopard shoulders. Then, slowly melting, started to demorph. Cassie and I followed suit, and finally Marco and Jake. 

Estreen was surprised. "So. My father was right. In at least one point, anyway."

"Yeah," Jake admitted. "Are you going to kill us?"

Estreen seemed unfazed. "Perhaps. I have never failed a job yet. But there is a first time for everything. And I have missed much with my sister." She grinned. "Maybe in my doings I will forget the job the Visser employed me. Then again, maybe not. It is hard to say.

"Besides, I never did really like him or his Yeerks. He's too full of himself. He needs a good, long date with a Vanryx."

Ax and she laughed, and I finally caught on. Vanryx- Yeerk-eater. Ha-ha, Visser.

"How are you going to get back?" Jake asked. "Too space…wherever, I mean."

"The Visser has my ship. No doubt he will refuse to give it to me until I have proof of your demise. Fortunately, I came prepared." She held up a camera. "Primitive, I suppose, but it'll do. He mostly wants to know that the leader is dead." 

"That would be me, I guess," Jake answered. "Shall I morph?"

"Of course. Lay there, and I will bloody you up so that the Visser can't do anything but assume you are dead."

Jake morphed, while Estreen shifted to her "normal" form. She slashed Jake along the neck, belly, back- everywhere. The blood stained the grass, and Jake held his breath while she snapped a picture. 

He demorphed, but she remained in her form. "I'll have to go now. Lauren- if you prefer that name over which your father gave you- would you wait here? I will be back." 

She dropped the camera and became a huge bald eagle, bigger than mine. She grasped the camera strap in her beak, and the camera itself in her talons, and with a few beats of her massive wings she took flight, and we watched her until she was gone.

Chapter 72- Tobias

Estreen came three hours later, in a ship. With my eyes, I could see the ripples in the air that marked a cloaked ship. 

It was a large, mismatched thing, that looked like a bug fighter glued to a Blade ship with an Andalite fighter thrown in for good measure, and a couple other pieces glued on here and there. A door opened, and Lauren raced across the grass and into the ship. When she got inside, she waved until the door shut, grinning. 

It was odd. We had gained a member, only to lose her. We could've been killed, and yet our killer had us help her kill her own father. There's a little different story for your diary. 

But perhaps it's not as strange as I think. Maybe, somewhere, it's the norm. But I guess I'll never know. All I can say is: I hope Estreen and Lauren found what they were looking for. I'm also glad she decided not to tear us all limb from limb. 

And also, I bet someplace, somewhere, we saved some other guys from assassination. Maybe we were a pawn in the Ellimist's game, once again, but I'd like to think we did this for our own, on our own. But that's something also, that I guess I'll never know the answer too.

But, in this world, galaxy, whatever: who knows?


End file.
